


Life in Technicolor Book 2

by leonhart_17



Series: Life in Technicolor [3]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-30
Updated: 2012-10-30
Packaged: 2017-11-17 09:12:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 61,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/549961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leonhart_17/pseuds/leonhart_17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life in the Robbins-Torres household gets more interesting when a new Robbins moves in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Arizona Robbins knew before she opened her eyes that she was naked. And possibly on a floor if the feel of the carpet on her back was any indication. Groaning, she pushed herself up on both hands to find the curve of a delicious ass right on the edge of the bed and at her eyelevel. Memories came back in a hurry. They’d been drinking but she hadn’t drank enough to forget any detail of the night before. And for her money, any night that ended with Calliope Torres sprawled naked in her bed was a night she didn’t want to forget.

The brunette in the bed shifted as she touched her leg, unable to resist the sight of so much skin. The corner of the sheet was covering one leg, but only just, and she couldn’t keep her hands off the tanned flesh, a shade darker now after nearly a week in the sun. A soft sigh and she saw the chocolate brown eyes that she lived for. “Good morning,” Callie said, though her voice was practically a moan. The gaze focused as she realized that Arizona was on the floor instead of in the bed with her. “How come you’re on the floor?”

“I do not know.” Arizona kept one hand stroking the back of Callie’s thigh, the touch tickling and light. “The view’s pretty good from down here though, so I find myself not hating it,” she said, her other hand tousling her hair as she stretched.

Callie shifted her face to the edge of the bed, curling one arm under her head. “My view’s pretty good too,” she agreed. “You’re gorgeous, you know that?”

Dimples popped as the blonde smiled, faking consideration. “It seems like I remember somebody telling me something like that last night.”

Callie abruptly turned onto her back, withdrawing from Arizona’s hand. “As good as you look on the floor, you look better in bed. Come up here.”

“Hey, you’re probably the one who knocked me down here,” Arizona protested even as she slid back into the bed, Callie cuddling close immediately.

“Yeah, okay, I’m sorry,” the Latina sighed. “I was right though. This is much better.” The peace lasted about half a minute before the quiet was broken by the ring of Arizona’s phone. Grumbling, Callie rolled back toward the far side of the bed, finding Arizona’s purse thankfully within reach among their scattered clothing. Glancing at the display, she answered it, “Hello Colonel. One second, Arizona’s right here.”

“Callie…” His voice was serious and she frowned in reaction.

“Calliope?” Arizona just sounded confused.

“Colonel?”

He cleared his throat and she could almost hear the emotion he was trying to restrain. Her heart suddenly started to pound. “Could you please put the phone on speaker, Callie?” he requested hoarsely.

Giving Arizona a look, Callie did as he asked, thumbing the speakerphone button and handing it over to her girlfriend while she leaned over the edge of the bed again and found both of their shirts. Something told her they wouldn’t want to be naked for this. 

“Dad?” Arizona was already hesitant, putting the phone on the pillow while she followed Callie’s lead and tugged her shirt over her head and straightened the narrow straps across her shoulders, pulling on it harder than she really needed to. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want you to worry, but it’s your brother.” Arizona’s eyes went wide and she sucked in a sharp breath. “Arizona, he’s alive.”

Callie felt a pang of sympathy and relief, but wasn’t sure why she was being included on this call. Clearly this was a private family matter. Watching her girlfriend’s face, she could almost feel her heart break - the pain in her eyes… Without speaking, she shifted to sit behind Arizona, gentle hands coaxing her slowly to lean back against her.

“Tim’s alive?” Arizona asked, voice hoarse and disbelieving. She picked up the phone but it was shaky in her hand.

“He’s alive, but it’s not good.” Unconsciously, Callie curled an arm around her partner’s waist, feeling Arizona’s free hand cover her wrist and squeeze tight. “His convoy hit a IED, half of his unit was killed outright. Timothy was injured but he’s stable.” He paused, Callie tightening her hold on her girlfriend. “They’re sending him home. They patched him up, but he’s going to need more surgery.”

Starting to see why the Robbins weren’t having this conversation without her, Callie took a deep breath and held it. “His legs? Arms?”

“Legs,” the Colonel answered, anxiety cracking through his severe control.

“Can he get to Seattle or should I come to him?” Callie asked, feeling Arizona’s body tremble in her arms.

“He’ll be in Seattle by Thursday morning.”

She could feel Arizona nod against her neck, already tensing to move. “I’ll clear my schedule,” she promised. “Could you get the medical files sent to Seattle Grace? Any MRIs, x-rays, anything like that.”

“They’ll be there in the morning. Thank you, Callie.” His control was slipping again and her name was hoarse.

“No need to thank me, sir.” She didn’t know Arizona’s brother well, just their brief meeting over the webcam and what she’d heard from her girlfriend, but he was Arizona’s brother and that’s all she needed to know. Whatever she could do for him, she would do it. Arizona was her family.

The Colonel cleared his throat gruffly. “See you on Thursday, then.” He hung up the phone without anything further.

Arizona pushed Callie’s arm off her waist, gathering her discarded clothes and going straight into the bathroom. So much for their vacation, Callie reflected, looking out their wide patio doors at the view of the Spanish coast afforded by their suite. She stood up with a sigh, gathering her own clothes and packing up what she could while she waited on hold with the airline. They were supposed to be going home tomorrow but she had a funny feeling that Arizona wouldn’t be satisfied waiting that long.

When she joined Arizona in the shower it was all business, switching off under the water and swapping the shampoo and the soap with none of their usual touching. Arizona slipped out first, retreating to the bedroom to get dressed. She still hadn’t spoken since the phone call with her father.

“We’ve got a flight in four hours,” Callie told her as she joined her in the bedroom, pulling her own clothes on and sitting on the bed to tie her sneakers. 

The bed bounced as Arizona crawled across it to wrap both arms around her, her chin resting on her shoulder. “Thank you, Calliope.”

Callie leaned forward, Arizona moving with her and keeping herself pressed against her back. “Arizona, of course. I’ll do anything I can, you know that.”

“I know that,” Arizona confirmed. She turned her head into a warm, tanned neck. “But you’re giving up your vacation…”

A hand on her mouth stopped her words. “Stop it,” Callie ordered sternly. “I love you. If you need me, I’m going to be there.”

Nodding behind her lover’s hand, Arizona hugged her tighter. “I need you,” she confirmed softly. And now Tim needed her Calliope too. She buried her face in her girlfriend’s neck, breath shuddering. “And I love you so much.”

Callie reached behind her, fingers finding damp blonde hair. Arizona hadn’t bothered with drying it so she knew it would be curly by the time they had to leave for the airport. “I know there’s no point in saying ‘don’t worry yet’ because you’re going to worry, but please don’t think you need to hide it from me. If you’re upset, you can be upset with me.”

Considering the offer for only a second, Arizona shook her head. She appreciated Callie’s support, but she was who her father had raised. There was no breaking down in her immediate future. “Not that I’m not grateful, because I am, but I-I I just can’t. Not now, not yet.” Callie rubbed her arms soothingly. “Thank you.”

The Latina tightened her grip in blonde hair. “You don’t need to say that to me, either,” she said. “Not for this. Not for anything.” She pulled her forward gently, over her shoulder slightly to kiss her, just a soft, gentle meeting of their lips. “Can you eat?”

Arizona shook her head again. “No, but I’ll take you out before we go to the airport.”

“Sweetheart…”

“I’ll eat, I’m just not hungry right now,” Arizona insisted lightly. If she was braver, she would have insisted that she could take care of herself, but the truth was, she didn’t think she could do it without Callie. Or at the very least, she didn’t want to do it without Callie. She offered another kiss reassuringly. “I’m okay, Calliope. Let’s just get you something to eat and get home.”

Sighing, Callie relented. “Okay.”

The flight over the ocean felt like it would never end, Arizona’s worry for her brother only making her natural anxiety about flying worse. It was all Callie could do to keep her in her seat, restrained from pacing the length of the airplane for the entire flight. They had a short layover in Miami and the blonde was free to roam the airport, Callie silently praying the she would work out some of her energy before they had to board their final flight back to Washington.

She’d just hung up the phone with Teddy, arranging for the heart surgeon to pick them up from Sea-Tac a day early, when she heard her name. And not her more common name but the name that only Arizona called her. Arizona and one other person, actually.

“Calliope…?”

Turning with a sigh, Callie felt her spine go rigid. He looked the same as always, white hair going bald on top, ice blue eyes framed by the same small lines she remembered, short beard neat and clean. It was hard to believe that they hadn’t seen each other in years. “Dad…”

“You’re in Miami - you’re home…”

She shook her head, sliding her phone back into her pocket. She’d been planning on calling the Chief while Arizona was roaming the airport but that obviously wasn’t going to happen. “We’re on a layover,” she corrected him.

“We? You and George?” He looked almost hopeful and she wondered if the news that she was divorced would be better or worse for him than the fact that she was with a woman. And not just any woman, but the woman she wanted to spend the rest of her life with… Her father had never liked that she had married George, but she was fairly certain that the fact that he was a male would put her ex-husband miles ahead of Arizona in her father’s esteem.

“No. We’re divorced.” Sure enough, his face went stony in an instant, his grip tightening on his briefcase. He knew about George’s infidelity, the entire Torres family knew about it, but he clearly viewed it as a lesser sin than divorce.

“And are you seeing someone?” His challenge was clear, practically daring her to speak up.

Callie didn’t disappoint (herself, at least). “Yes. Her name’s Arizona Robbins. She’s an attending pediatric surgeon at the same hospital where I work. She’s the top of her field, brilliant, funny, happy, beautiful.”

“Calliope…”

“No, you don’t speak to me for three years, you cut me off from my family, I don’t want to hear a word about who I love!”

Shaking his head, the older man sighed. “Is there a topic we can talk about? It has been three years, Calliope.”

“How’re Mom and Aria?” Callie asked flatly. Her father had always called her by her full name. She’d always hated it growing up. Now Arizona was the one who used that name and she found that her dislike for her name was all in who was saying it.

“They’re good. Your mother has just started a new charity for illiteracy.” Of course. Her mother could be counted on to be charitable to anyone but her own daughter. “And your sister has gone back to school.” For what had to be the fifth or sixth time, all of her various attempts at a degree incomplete. “Calliope, they - we miss you, mija.”

Callie sighed, steeling herself. If she was honest, she missed them too. But she was not the one who’d broken contact. And after her father’s command that she leave home and not come back until she’d repented she’d tried to reach her mother, her sister, to no avail. They’d cut her off as fully as her father had. “I can’t deal with this right now. We’re on our way home and we’ve got too much to deal with, I can’t do this.” She spotted her girlfriend’s blonde curls moving through the crowd behind her father and she took a quick step forward, voice lowering. “Arizona is coming so if you can’t be so, so nice, you need to walk away right now,” she ordered.

He stared at her for a long moment, eyes searching her face. She didn’t waver. Her father, their issues, would be stressful on even the best day and today was not the day to subject Arizona to that. She could insist she was okay, but Callie was determined not to do anything that would push her stress level any higher.

“You look well, Calliope,” he said simply in goodbye, walking backwards for two steps before he turned and blended away into the crowd of suits.

Arizona had her hands full when she appeared at Callie’s side a few moments later, a takeout bag in her grip. “I know you’re still…” Her voice trailed off as she noticed the Latina’s clenched jaw, the tightness around her eyes. “What’s wrong? What happened?” She balanced the tray of drinks on her arm to free up a hand to dig for her phone. “Did my dad call?” She thought she’d been controlling herself better, but the look on Callie’s face was all it took to send her heart rate racing.

Callie took the drinks from her quickly before they spilled, catching her hands. “No, sweetie, no. It’s nothing about your brother, I swear.”

Arizona frowned, looking around the crowded airport. “Then what is it?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Callie assured her, pulling her to the row of chairs and trying to shake off the disconcerted feeling her father had left behind. “What did you get us?”

“Don’t give me that,” Arizona cut her off. “You’re all tense now. What happened?” Callie’s mouth opened to deny it, but the blonde shook her head. “No, if I’m talking, you’re talking,” she declared.

Callie’s mouth curled in a small grin. “But, baby, you’re not talking.”

Blue eyes rolled in reply. “Because I don’t have anything to talk about yet. You obviously do. So talk to me.” She shifted in her chair, angling her body toward Callie’s. “Please?”

Callie considered her for a long moment, gaze searching her face. “It’s really not a big deal, okay? But my father was just here.”

Arizona blinked, not expecting that answer. “Whoa.” She looked around as though he might still be around. “Are you okay?” Callie nodded simply, poking a straw into one of the drinks and taking a sip, endeavoring to regain some equilibrium. “How long has it been since you’ve see each other?”

Shrugging, Callie started unpacking the bag. “Oh, good choice, babe. Thank you.” This was not something she wanted to dump on Arizona when she was already dealing with so much. Her relationship with her family had been rocky for years and it wasn’t something she expected to change anytime soon. Talking about it would only stress her out and she needed to be calm, focus on doing what she could for Arizona.

“Calliope…”

“It’s been a few years, Arizona.” Callie looked up from the bag of food. “Which is why it’s really not a big deal.” She bumped her girlfriend with an elbow. “Let’s eat.” She was almost pleading and Arizona still looked doubtful but relented, taking her own dinner from the bag. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want him to meet you,” Callie said without prompting. “It’s just already been a long day and he’s not the most…sympathetic person in the world and…”

“If you think I can’t deal with…”

“It’s not you, Arizona,” Callie interjected earnestly. “I can’t deal with him right now. I asked him to leave.” She leaned over, elbows on her knees. Arizona rubbed her back soothingly. “I didn’t want him to upset you, but I didn’t want to deal with him today either, okay?” she admitted. She mustered a weak smile, looking sideways up at her. “Can we just agree to talk later?”

Arizona smiled almost sadly, nodding and leaning over to rest her head against the back of Callie’s shoulder. “Yeah.”

They ate quietly, though the silence grew more comfortable gradually. By the time their flight to Seattle was boarding, things felt normal, if a little stressed, between them. It wasn’t stress with each other though, but with the situation. Slipping her hand into Arizona’s as the plane started to lift off, Callie took a breath as Arizona squeezed down on her fingers.


	2. Chapter 2

Having just returned from vacation meant that her schedule was already light and the situation with Arizona’s brother meant that the Chief didn’t put up a fight when Callie immediately canceled the few surgeries on her calendar to consult on Timothy’s case. They had a day between their early return to Seattle and the Robbins’ predicted arrival on Thursday morning, and Callie spent the time poring over every page of the scans the military doctors had sent, trying to come up with a plan.

The explosion had shattered both of Tim’s legs, the right worse than the left. The repairs they’d done in the field had been rudimentary, done solely to keep him alive. The way things stood now, looking at the x-rays, he couldn’t stand, definitely couldn’t walk, and was certainly in constant, steady pain. Now it would be her job to end the pain at the very least, get him walking again if she could. It would be painful, excruciating even, before the end, but she was confident in her own abilities. Though, part of her couldn’t help worrying that her confidence was an overreaching effect of not wanting to have to tell Arizona, Timothy, Barbara, or the Colonel that she’d failed.

She had been essentially locked in the lounge since their homecoming, staring and stewing over the charts and x-rays. A cup of coffee in a colorful mug interrupted her latest trance-like consideration, drawing her gaze up to blue eyes she loved. Arizona looked tired though, her eyes shadowed. Of course, that was to be expected with all the sleep she hadn’t been getting. “Hey, you.”

“Hey.” Arizona trailed a hand across the back of Callie’s shoulders as she moved behind her chair. “I haven’t seen you since we got here. Stark has been a total ass the whole time we were gone, according to Karev. He’s glad we’re back. Bummed that I’ll be out of surgery for a few more days, though.” There was no response but a heavy sigh. “Can you talk me through it?” She gestured toward the table and leaned over to rest her chin on Callie’s shoulder so she could see and listen.

Callie spoke slowly, outlining her tentative plan, the various scenarios that she might find once Tim was actually there and she could get new scans and inspect the injuries for herself. While she spoke, her voice was quiet, tired, and flat. She could only blink in surprise when Arizona suddenly rounded her chair to plop down in her lap. “What are you doing?” Even if her voice didn’t change, a hint of a smile teased the corner of her mouth.

“Sitting on my girlfriend,” Arizona answered promptly. “Calliope, you’re obviously not saying something. Talk to me,” she requested. The Ortho surgeon didn’t speak and Arizona deliberately pushed her girlfriend’s chin up with one hand, holding her face still so that their eyes locked. “Whatever you say, I’m going to love you.”

Callie forced a deep breath and she tried to shake her head through Arizona’s grip on her chin. “It’s your brother… And we’ve only met once, but you’re so important to me and I know how important he is to you, Arizona.” The blonde nodded, looking down at her steadily. “What if I can’t do it? What if I can’t help him? Or what if I try and fail?” Blue eyes narrowed and Callie sucked in a trembling breath. “What if I push too hard and make it worse because I can’t stand the thought of letting you down?”

The real issue was laid out plainly and Arizona let a sympathetic whimper escape her. She’d been focused on her brother, on his pain, she hadn’t even considered Callie’s side of the issue. “I have faith in you, Calliope,” Arizona whispered. “So does Tim. He’s not coming to you because you’re my girlfriend. He’s coming to you because you’re the best.” She shook her head in almost disbelief. How was Callie worrying about this? She had to know how awesome she was. A tired smile spread slowly across her expression. “Take me out of it if that makes it easier,” she suggested. “Timothy Robbins is a patient.”

“And you’re his family member?” Callie questioned, arching an eyebrow at her. “Arizona…”

“I’m his family member,” she agreed quickly. “Exactly. We’re any other family who wants the best, most clever and creative Ortho specialist in the country to help us.”

The brunette sighed heavily, clearly doubtful. Arizona had been stressed out, not at Callie, but just in general, since they’d gotten the call from her father. She was doing her best to keep it under control, be her normal self, but the efforts were wasted on Callie, her girlfriend able to see through the ruse. She didn’t push it though, trusting that Arizona would let her in when she needed her. “But then your family comes home to the house where I happen to live too,” she reminded her partner. If she failed them, how could Arizona expect her to look her parents in the eye again? How could she look Arizona in the eyes again if she was the one who had to tell them that Tim wouldn’t walk again, would lose his legs?

Arizona blinked, kissing her softly instead of answering vocally. It took Callie a second to loosen up enough to respond, sucking lightly on her lover’s lower lip. How could she lose this? The connection between them had been instantaneous and electric. And even better, it was simple. She was made for Arizona Robbins. Everyone, everything leading up to her - her parents’ abandonment, George’s infidelity, her move to Seattle - it was all just so much preparation, showing her what didn’t work so when she found the one who did, she knew it.

And she knew it more clearly than she knew her own name. She was meant to love Arizona Robbins for the rest of her life.

A hand on her jaw, the familiar touch that Arizona couldn’t seem to help giving her when they kissed, drew her back to the present and she let her lover pull back from the kiss gently, both of them breathing in slow, deep breaths.

“You’re borrowing trouble,” Arizona whispered, leaning her forehead against Callie’s and keeping their eyes locked. She knew all about borrowing trouble - she was doing more than enough for the both of them. She couldn’t sleep for all the troubling possibilities that kept her mind busy. “And I’ll talk to my parents, but I’m a doctor too, Calliope. I know the realities here. You’re a complete rockstar, but even you can’t work miracles.” Callie swallowed hard, choking down her emotions. Oh how she wished she could give Tim a miracle. “But you are the best shot that he has.”

“Maybe I should stay at Teddy’s while he’s here,” said Callie, voice still heavy.

Arizona went stiff again, blinking in surprise. “That’s not what I want, but if that’s what you need, baby, if you can’t be with me…”

“Arizona, don’t be stupid.”

“Hey, you, sweetheart, are the one who said you didn’t want to stay at home. I want you to stay.” Her fingers moved gently across Callie’s cheek. She steeled herself, taking a deep breath and holding it. Even with Calliope, her first instinct wasn’t to share. But thinking about being honest with Callie didn’t fill her with tension or anxiety. Instead, she thought that sharing her fear with Callie might make her feel better. Because she was scared. She didn’t want her brother to suffer. But Callie could do this. She was Tim’s best chance at getting his life back. “This is going to be hard, Calliope. I know that. Hard for all of us.” She let out her deep breath. “I think I’m going to need you as much as Tim is. If that’s okay.”

Leaning into the hand on her face, Callie closed her eyes. Making things harder wasn’t her intention. She just wasn’t sure she could face Arizona if something went wrong. 

“Stop it.” Arizona’s gentle whisper cut through her thoughts. “You are amazing. But if something happens,” Callie didn’t open her eyes but her brows furrowed, “it’s not your fault. And I know that. You’re not the one who hurt him, Calliope. You’re trying to help him. My parents understand that. I get that. Please come home at night after consults and surgeries. Don’t sleep here, okay? I need you to come home and hold me.” Brown eyes opened slowly to find blues searching her face. “And I think you’re going to need me too.” Callie chewed on her bottom lip instead of answering, Arizona sighing. “Baby, please don’t worry so much about something going wrong until something goes wrong,” she requested wearily. “Because I am already doing that. Let me take care of the worrying. You have made a good plan. You’ve covered more bases than I even thought to worry about, Calliope. So please just come home?”

Callie smiled weakly, considering. All she could do was take Arizona at her word. And there was really nothing else she could do here. She was either prepared or she wasn’t. And sitting in the lounge all night and giving herself a headache wouldn’t help anyone. And she needed to help Arizona however she could. “Now?” she questioned, just to be sure.

“Yes, now,” Arizona agreed in a heartbeat, climbing off of her lap and taking her girlfriend’s hand to pull her to her feet. Her relief was clear in her voice. “Pack this stuff up and let’s go home.”

Somehow Callie was able to coax her to sleep, though Arizona was still bleary eyed when they arrived at the hospital the next morning to meet Timothy and the Robbins parents. She was distractedly fidgeting with her hair as they waited and Callie mustered a smile as she took her girlfriend’s hand down and held it.

“You need to calm down, Arizona,” she said with a quiet, forced laugh. “I’m the one who’s got to face ‘the Colonel’ again, remember?” she teased, trying to lighten the mood. She couldn’t remember ever being so anxious about a case before, but she couldn’t think about that now.

“My parents already love you. And Tim’s only met you once, but he thinks you’re great. He says you’re good for me.”

Callie smirked, couldn’t help herself. “I am good for you.”

Bumping her with an elbow, Arizona’s lips quirked in a smile. “And humble too.” The doors of the ambulance bay slid open and she moved forward before Callie could respond to the teasing, pulling her girlfriend along by the hand. “Hey, we’re here,” she greeted her parents, giving her big brother an affectionate swat to the shoulder as the hospital gurney he was reclining on wheeled up beside her. “If you were that desperate to come visit, you could have just taken leave, you know?”

He grinned in spite of his obvious pain. “Maybe I just wanted a good excuse to get your girlfriend to put her hands on me,” he joked back, voice strained. Even when he was in a gurney, his shattered legs stiff in front of him, he was charming. Brown eyes sent a wink in Callie’s direction and he offered his hand. “Callie, you’re even more beautiful in person.” Arizona could just fume, eyes narrowed at her brother, as he pulled the tanned hand in to press a kiss to the back of it.

“Yeah, yeah, Casanova.” Arizona pulled Callie back from the bed deliberately and slid herself between them as the nurses steered the bed inside. “Hands to yourself or she’ll be fixing those for you too.”

Clearing her throat, Callie shook her head at her girlfriend with an accommodating smile. “Exam room 2, please,” she directed her interns, falling into step behind the bed with the Colonel while Barbara and Arizona took up positions on either side. “Nice to see you again, sir.” He shook her hand firmly. “I mean, you know, under the circumstances…”

“I understand,” he said calmly. “Thank you for seeing Timothy.”

“Oh, please, no,” Callie denied. “Anything I can do to help.”

He ushered her into the room and the surgeon cleared her throat, trying to shift from sympathetic family (girl)friend to dedicated, hardcore doctor. She caught Arizona’s reassuring smile from her brother’s bedside, holding his hand while they all turned their attention to Callie.

Abruptly, her phobia of public speaking surfaced in the face of the intimidating prospect of operating on Arizona’s brother, and she forced herself to focus on Arizona’s blue eyes. She was talking to Arizona. Just Arizona. She cleared her throat as the blonde gave her a knowing nod of encouragement. “Okay, so, obviously you know that there’s a lot of damage here…” she started, relieved by Tim’s laugh. She kept her description of the trauma short and more vague than she would have normally been with a patient. He knew what had happened to him already. The plan she laid out in detail, though, wanting him to understand the trauma she was going to have to inflict on him before things got better. She finished speaking and Barbara and Daniel’s eyes turned to their son.

He swallowed hard, nodding and shifting himself in his bed. “Alright. Sounds rough, but if that’s what we gotta do, that’s what we gotta do,” he said confidently, shrugging his broad shoulders. “Right?”

“Right,” Callie confirmed, nodding back at him with her arms crossing her chest. “If you have any questions, if there’s anything you’re not comfortable with…”

“I trust you, Callie,” he interjected, voice hoarse with pain, but steady and sure.

She glanced from him to Arizona, taking a deep breath. “Okay, well, it’s going to be a process, so don’t get too annoyed at me if I ask it more than once, alright?”

He grinned the same charming Robbins grin that his sister wielded so well and nodded again. “No worries,” he promised. “As long as you don’t get too annoyed with me either. I’m not the best patient,” he sent a look toward his mother, “or so I hear, anyway.”

“You’d be more comfortable if you let them give you something stronger for the pain,” she shot back, sighing at her son.

Arizona and Callie both jumped, the blonde reaching for her brother’s chart. “You’re not on anything?! Tim!”

“I don’t want anything stronger,” he said stubbornly. “They gave me morphine over there and I didn’t like it. I had weird dreams.”

“Weird dreams?” Arizona countered, frustrated. “Don’t give me ‘weird dreams,’ Tim! There’re other drugs we can give you. You don’t have to hurt like this!”

His eyes shifted to Callie. “I’m okay. And the first surgery will be soon, right?”

Arizona and her parents looked at her as well and she swallowed nervously, feeling her anxiety rising. “Yeah, as soon as I get the OR booked.”

Even as she spoke the door opened to admit Dr. Webber, the hospital’s Chief of Surgery. African-American, tall, bearded, and bald, he radiated power and control even without speaking. Callie felt her back stiffen as he nodded to her and even Arizona’s shoulders straightened as their boss entered. “Doctors,” he greeted them politely, Arizona stepping up to introduce her parents.

“Dr. Richard Webber, Daniel and Barbara Robbins.”

Tim waved cheerfully from the bed. “And I’m your new star patient,” he joked with a grin, shaking the older man’s hand. “Tim Robbins, nice to meet you.” His grin turned wicked. “So, are you my sister’s boss?”

The Chief glanced between his two surgeons, smirking himself. “I’m everybody’s boss.”

Arizona rolled her eyes as Tim laughed. “Awesome.”

Dr. Webber’s smile didn’t disappear but his look got more serious. “I stopped by to assure you that the hospital will do whatever we can to make your stay comfortable. And Dr. Torres is absolutely the best surgeon for your case and she’s going to give you her very best. Isn’t that right, Dr. Torres?”

Callie nodded, shooting a glance at Arizona before she gave her boss her gaze. “Yes sir. Of course.”

“Very good,” he replied. “Dr. Robbins, of course Dr. Stark and Dr. Karev will be holding down Peds cases while your brother is here.”

Arizona’s brow dropped, a frown crossing her face. “Oh.” Clearly that wasn’t an idea she was okay with. If left on their own together much longer, she knew Alex would be run ragged picking up their ornery, lazy boss’ slack. And she’d be left to stew and wait with her parents. She needed to work. “Sir, I appreciate that, but I can work…” He gave her a look and she continued quickly, “I mean, not like I want to scrub in on anything, but I can consult.”

Callie bit her lip, not sure how much their Chief of Surgery knew about his Head of Pediatrics’ work ethic. “Is there something you want to say to me, Dr. Robbins?” Dr. Webber asked, seeing her nerves in her face. Having known her since her internship, he knew that she had issues standing up to authority. It tended to make her burst into tears.

The blonde glanced to either side, hands fidgeting anxiously. “Oh, no, I just - Karev can handle it, I just - I want to help,” she shrugged, “I can’t sit around and do nothing, sir.” Saying anything more would bring up her own lack of confidence in her boss’ abilities. She wasn’t about to give Stark any more reason to come down on her. She’d just have to do what she could from home to help Alex with the workload.

“Paperwork only, Dr. Robbins,” he ordered sternly. “Your brother is in the hospital, you’re going to be distracted, emotional. That equals paperwork.”

She meekly nodded, dutifully ignoring her brother’s smug grin. “Yes, sir.”

“You’re in good hands, Tim,” Dr. Webber assured him, shaking his hand again before he turned to leave. “Mr. and Mrs. Robbins, anything I can do for you, don’t hesitate to ask. Dr. Robbins is one of ours and we take care of our people here.”

The room was quiet in the wake of his departure, Callie releasing a deep breath. “Well, I need to get the schedule worked out and everything, but I’ll come talk to you again before we get started,” she promised, struggling not to stammer. “We should hopefully be able to start tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Callie,” Tim said earnestly. “Or should I call you Dr. Torres? Because I’m not going to lie, that’s pretty hot. I could work with that.” He just grunted when Arizona slugged his arm. “I got blown up! I’m in a hospital bed! Quit hitting me!”

“I will when you quit hitting on my girlfriend!” Arizona countered.

Callie couldn’t help laughing. They were exactly how she’d thought they’d be together. “Tim, you can call a nurse if she won’t stop bothering you. You need to get some sleep before tomorrow. If you want something to help…”

“I’m good,” he declared immediately. “But you have to stop hitting me. Dr. Torres’ orders!”

Arizona shot a look across the room at the Latina. “Stop encouraging him! You’re supposed to be my girlfriend!”

“Hey!” Tim countered. “She can be my girlfriend if she wants to be!”

“Children…” Barbara interceded. “It’s a miracle she’d be either one of your girlfriend.” Shooting her brother a final look, Arizona silently declared a truce with Tim. “And if you need to rest, we’re going to go home,” their mother said, smoothing the top of Tim’s sandy blonde hair with one hand.

“Do you need anything before we leave?” Callie checked considerately. She wanted to go over her plan once more before Arizona inevitably dragged her home and she was personally going to scour the staff for the best possible people to assist her. Anything she could possibly double check, she was going to do it.

“I’m good, doc.” He gave her a reassuring smile and a wink to tease his sister. “See you tomorrow.”


	3. Chapter 3

Arizona knew she shouldn’t be on the Peds ward, she technically wasn’t on shift, but Callie was in surgery with Tim and her parents were in the waiting room. She was too much her father’s daughter (and he was too much ‘The Colonel’) to be around him while they waited. And her mother, trying her best to comfort them both, would just make them crazy and cranky.

So she’d retreated to her colorful ward. Alex had taken the news that he was still saddled with Stark with healthy frustration, tempered by her promise to work through cases with him at home. So when she appeared at the nurses’ station, he had to visibly stop himself from hugging her in relief.

“Hey!” He quickly sobered up as he remembered why she was wearing street clothes instead of her scrubs and lab coat. “How’s your brother?” he asked, tapping the chart he was reading against the edge of the desk.

She shook her head at him. “Callie started a while ago. And this is supposed to be the easier surgery, but it’ll be a few hours before we know anything.” She was clearly stressed, even when she didn’t want to show it. At least, she hoped only Alex could see it.

Considering that, Alex leaned next to her at the counter. “Want to help me with a consult?” he offered in an attempt to be supportive. “Stark was supposed to be down here an hour ago, but…”

“That sounds typical,” Arizona grumbled, looking down at herself. “I can change. Just give me a few more minutes.”

He shrugged out of his lab coat and held it out to her on two hooked fingers. “Just throw this on.” He pinched his ID off the front and adjusted the collar to cover the majority of his name on the chest. “They’ve already been waiting for an hour.”

“Alright. What’ve we got?”

“It’s a cancer patient. You up for that today? I can totally take it…”

“Alex, I can’t just sit around and watch my dad pacing,” she reminded him, taking the chart he offered. “Walk me through it.”

He ran down the essentials of the case as they walked, Arizona reading the chart. “Redding family, this is Dr. Robbins. She’s an attending surgeon in pediatrics and she’s here to consult on your case.”

The room was full, the little girl under the sheets, her parents on either side and her grandparents surrounding the bed. Arizona looked up to give the family a smile, not letting it slip at the severe look on the father’s face. “Is this some kind of joke? Are there no grown up doctors in this hospital?”

The pair exchanged glances and Arizona cleared her throat, putting the chart down on the table at the foot of the bed. “I assure you, we’re very good, Mr. Redding.” She maintained her friendly smile and perky demeanor through sheer force of will. This was better than sitting and stewing, but not by much.

“Are you his boss?” The rest of his family seemed content to let Mr. Redding question her but Arizona didn’t back down.

“Yes sir, I am.”

“And where is your boss?”

Glancing sideways at Alex again, she could see him shrug. He would follow her lead. “Dr. Karev actually paged him for this meeting about an hour ago and Dr. Stark never showed up. He asked me to come here so you nice people wouldn’t have to wait any longer,” Arizona explained, forcing her voice to remain cheerful.

“How come you didn’t get paged, or called, or whatever? Are you not good?”

She shook her head, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. “No, sir. I’m very good. I’m not working today though. This meeting was a favor for you and Dr. Karev. If you’d rather wait for Dr. Stark, I’m free to get back to my day off.” Even without looking over at him, she could feel Alex hiding a smirk. “Nice to meet you all.” She turned as though she was going to leave, Alex keeping pace with her.

They didn’t make it to the door before Mr. Redding was calling them back. “Wait, please, I’m sorry.” He gave a harried sigh and Arizona found herself sympathetic. He looked exactly how she felt inside - anxious, stressed, impatient. “It’s my little girl. She’s sick and I don’t know what I’m doing. You understand, right?”

“We understand,” Arizona said, returning to the foot of the bed. “The good news is that your daughter’s tumor is stage one, still small, and there’s no sign that it’s metastasized to any of her other organs.” She snapped an MRI into the light box on the wall to show them the tumor. “Dr. Karev will be able to resect the tumor - it looks like it has clean margins - and we’ll want to have Oncology keep an eye on her, but if we can get all of the tumor out cleanly, there’s a good chance she won’t even need Chemo.”

A throat clearing from the doorway drew every eye in the room. “Dr. Robbins,” Stark greeted her, his expression clearly displeased.

She maintained her chipper disposition. “Ah, Dr. Stark, nice of you to join us. Finally.” Alex coughed lightly but didn’t say anything at the borderline disrespect in her tone.

“I was unaware that you were working today, Dr. Robbins,” he said, moving into the room and attempting to stare her down, his eyes flicking down to spot Alex’s name on the coat at her chest.

“I’m not. I offered to take this consult after you were late, sir,” she answered, turning away from him toward the family of the patient. “Do you have any questions about anything we talked about?”

And throat clearing interrupted her. “If you do, you can direct them to Dr. Karev. Dr. Robbins, if you’d follow me into the hall,” Stark ordered her sternly.

Alex took the chart, mouthing an apology behind their boss’ back. She waved it off, patting his arm. “Dr. Karev is a brilliant surgeon. You’re in very good hands,” she promised, grinning. “It was lovely to meet you all.”

The polite, friendly expressions (Stark’s less than convincing) slid from their faces as soon as Arizona pulled the door closed behind her. “Dr. Robbins, that was less than professional behavior.”

“And what about your less than professional behavior?” she shot back, knowing that she should just let it go but unable to help herself. “Taking more than an hour to answer a page?!”

“You’re a skilled surgeon, Robbins, but you should remember your place,” he countered.

“And you should remember that the people you operate on aren’t just surgical dummies! They have families, loved ones, that deserve a few minutes of your time and attention,” Arizona argued, neither of them realizing how much their voices had gone up in volume.

“Doctors!” The bark from their Chief stopped them both in their tracks. “Both of you, with me.” Arizona realized she was fuming as she fell into step behind her bosses, frustrated at the situation, at Stark, at letting herself lose control, and mostly at not knowing how her brother was doing. Stark being an insensitive asshole was nothing new. She could normally control herself, keep her thoughts about her boss to herself - or at least limit sharing them to only Alex, Teddy, or Callie. Today was just not her day.

And now she was going to get reamed out by their boss in front of her boss. Shit.

Chief Webber gave them both stern glares as he steered them into the nearest conference room. “Dr. Stark, would you care to explain?”

Diving right into his angry explanation, he stabbed a finger at Arizona. “She undermined my authority, took my consult when she’s not even working, and was very unprofessional in front of a patient…”

The Chief crossed his arms and gave the blonde a firm look. “Dr. Robbins, do you have something to add?”

She took a moment to gather herself, desperate not to let her authority issues get the better of her and start crying. She didn’t like being yelled at by anyone in a position of authority over her. And it normally triggered an embarrassing bout of waterworks. “Sir, I was just going up to Peds to do some charting, like you said I could, but Alex Karev told me that he’d paged Dr. Stark for a consult with the family of a little girl with a malignant tumor, but Dr. Stark hadn’t showed up and the family had been waiting for over an hour. So I offered to do the consult.” She shrugged, deliberately leaving out that it have been Alex‘s idea. She wasn’t going to let him get into trouble because she’d lost control of her emotions. “When Dr. Stark finally showed up, after we were done talking through the procedure, he was upset and asked me to step out,” she squared her shoulders, posture military straight, “Which is the point where you arrived, sir.”

“Dr. Stark, appointments with patients are nothing to be taken lightly,” Dr. Webber stated, Stark glaring darkly at Arizona. “And Dr. Robbins, perhaps you should spend some time with your parents while your brother is still in surgery,” he suggested in a way that made it clear that it wasn’t a suggestion.

Nodding, Arizona didn’t look back at either of them as she turned her back and left the room. Alex was waiting for her a few paces down the hall and she let him catch up as she didn’t stop to talk to him. She just wanted the surgery to be over so she could talk to Callie, see Tim for herself.

“Do I need to kick that guy’s ass?” Alex asked as they walked briskly, glancing over his shoulder himself.

Just to be safe, she grabbed his sleeve. “No, Karev. The last thing we need today is you getting suspended. And it’s not like Stark being a dick is new behavior. I’m just letting it get to me.” She scoffed, still frustrated with everything. “And the Chief won’t let me do anything but charts.”

“Well, you are kind of worked up,” he pointed out without thinking. “I mean,” she glared up at him, “balls, I meant - not like you couldn’t cut, but…” He grumbled under his breath for a moment. “Damn it.”

“It’s fine,” she let him off the hook, handing him his lab coat back. “Just rock that girl’s surgery, alright? For me?”

“You got it, boss,” he agreed, the pair casually fist bumping before he left her to go back to work.

She’d already wandered the lounge and the cafeteria for a few hours before she’d ended up in Peds, so she reluctantly started back toward the waiting room, hoping that she’d killed enough time that the waiting with her parents wouldn’t drive her completely nuts.

Her wish was granted in the form of a page, the little device on her hip beeping with a signal from Callie. Her pace picked up suddenly and she kicked out her wheels and took off, coasting straight past Bailey and into the elevator. “Sorry Miranda!” she called over her shoulder.

“Your girl’s too busy right now to fix your fool behind!” her friend yelled after her. “Slow yourself down!”

Her parents were already on their feet when she slid into the waiting room, Callie appearing from the OR hallway only a second after Arizona arrived. 

“There you are!” Barbara’s nerves were apparent in her voice.

“I’m here,” Arizona gasped her agreement, eyes focused on Callie’s face, trying to read her expression.

Callie fidgeted with the back of her scrub cap, one hand rubbing nervously over her head as she walked out to join them. “I finished most of the reconstruction on the left leg. The repairs they made initially had started to knit, so I did have to re-break the leg. And I had to put in a few pins, but I’m hopeful.” The Robbins let out breaths of relief and Callie smiled tentatively. “It’ll take some serious physical therapy, but so far, so good.” She couldn’t help laughing as Arizona threw herself into her arms, taking a quick step back to keep from dropping her. “Arizona!”

“Told you so!” the blonde stated, letting Callie set her back on her feet. “You rocked it, Calliope.”

“Is he awake?” Barbara questioned, relieved but still anxious.

Callie shook her head. “Not just yet. They’re still taking him down to recovery. I’ll be sure they let you in to see him as soon as possible.”

She nodded. “Thank you, Callie.”

“Yes, thank you,” the Colonel added, shaking her hand firmly.

The relief was palpable - it was still early, but any success was to be treasured - but they were all surprised when Arizona laid a passionate kiss on her girlfriend, both hands framing her face. Callie couldn’t help her surrender, closing her eyes as Arizona sucked on her bottom lip before letting her go. “Thank you, Calliope,” the blonde whispered against her lips, adding her own to her parents’ gratitude.

“You’re welcome,” Callie whispered back, blushing as she realized that they were in the middle of the waiting room with Arizona’s parents. “I need to get changed, but I’ll be back when they get Tim to recovery,” she promised, not surprised to feel Arizona’s fingers lace through hers.

“I’m going with her,” Arizona announced as though it was going to surprise anyone, following Callie back into the OR hall while her parents hugged out their relief.

Callie liked to take a quick shower after any surgeries that took longer than four hours, but she insisted that Arizona not join her, citing professionalism and their bigger shower at home as a reason for her to wait. When she emerged from the shower, her girlfriend’s expression had faded somewhat. “What’s wrong? Are you pouting because I wouldn’t give you shower sex at work? Arizona…”

“No, it’s not that,” the blonde denied, shaking her head distractedly. “I kind of lost it at Stark earlier…”

“What?” asked Callie in disbelief, tousling her hair with her towel.

“In front of the Chief…”

Callie shifted her shirt on her shoulders as she sat down on the bench next to Arizona. “Oh, baby, he knows that today was a long day. I’m sure he’ll be understanding.”

“I did a consult for Alex. After I told Dr. Webber that I would only do paperwork, stay away from patients,” she sighed heavily and Callie rubbed a hand across the top of her back, “He was afraid I wouldn’t be able to work today and he was right.”

Callie considered her before she spoke, tracing her face with her eyes. Arizona could be stubborn, could close herself off from other people, and probably had been too emotional to work today. But she would never, ever do anything to harm a patient. “Did you lose it with the patient?”

“No,” sighed the blonde. “We had just finished up explaining the procedure and Stark asked me to step into the hall.” She rubbed at her hair with one hand, suddenly weary. Tim had come through his first surgery and now they had a day or two to relax before the next step would be underway. It was a tiring thought. “I don’t even know what happened, Calliope. He gives us crap all the time. Today I just… couldn’t take it.”

“Well, it’s going to be okay,” Callie said, still rubbing her back gently. “Dr. Webber knows you. He knows you’re going through a lot right now. And you didn’t lose it with a patient.”

Unexpectedly, Arizona laughed quietly. “I kind of got a little snaky with the patient actually, but it was about Stark,” she shook her head with a tired smile, “Karev almost laughed.”

“Oh brother,” sighed Callie. “Okay, what are you doing for the rest of the day? Because you should probably get out of the hospital. You need to relax. Go home and get drunk or something,” she suggested.

They both looked up as the attending’s locker room door opened, their seated position hiding them behind the second row of lockers. “Dr. Robbins, I’d like to see you in my office when you have a moment,” Dr. Webber called through the doorway and they could both hear the door swing closed as he left them.

“I guess I’m going to the office,” Arizona answered Callie’s question. Damn it…

Tim was awake when Callie joined the Robbins in his recovery room, the man waving her in eagerly until he could pull her into an excited hug. “Check it out!” She leaned back to see that he was wiggling his toes on his left foot. “And it doesn’t even hurt that bad! Nothing like it was.”

“Good, that’s so good, Tim,” Callie praised. She’d intended to come for a social visit, but couldn’t help running both hands over his leg and checking the incision under the heavy bandages. “The pain should lessen soon.” He was almost bouncing in the bed in his eager joy and she pinned him with a look. “But remember, just when this one starts feeling better, the other one is going to be worse.”

“But then they both get better,” he stated confidently. “You’re a rockstar, doc! Now where’s baby sister? I figured she’d be beating down the door to get in here.”

Callie caught a grimace before it escaped, not sure how much trouble Arizona would get into for smarting off to her boss. “Oh, she had to go talk to Dr. Webber. Hopefully it won’t take too long.”

Barbara’s motherly intuition sensed that there was something Callie wasn’t saying and she frowned. “Arizona didn’t do something wrong, did she?” Her daughter’s girlfriend just blinked in surprise at her insightful guess. “I know my Arizona, Callie. She has authority issues even on her best day. And she’s been running around here like a chicken with her head cut off for hours.”

Tim chuckled, amused. “Damn, what’d she do?”

Shrugging, Callie chewed on her bottom lip. “She kind of got a little… short with her boss,” she said. “In front of our Chief.”

“O-o-oh,” Tim dragged out his laugh, pointing as Arizona herself arrived in his doorway. “Nice one, sis! Getting snippy with the boss?!”

Arizona just shook her head, appearing dazed. “Babe, what happened?” Callie questioned, trying to read her expression. If she wasn’t mistaken, Arizona almost looked… happy? Excited? “What did the Chief say?”

Arizona’s jaw worked up and down without speaking. “Honey?” Barbara tried, one hand reaching for her daughter’s shoulder. “Tell us what happened…”

“Stark…” gasped out Arizona, the name drawing a frown to Callie’s face.

“What did that jerk do now?”

“I’m getting his job.”

It took a moment for the words to register, Callie’s jaw dropping. “What?! Arizona, that’s amazing!” Swallowing through a dry throat, the blonde tried to clear her head. “How did this happen?”

Barbara helpfully handed Arizona Tim’s plastic cup of water, Arizona drinking it all the way down. “Thanks, Mom,” she breathed gratefully.

“So what happened with the Chief?” Callie asked impatiently, eager to hear how what they thought was going to be a dressing down had become a promotion to department head.

Laughing, Arizona gave her a dimpled grin. “I’m getting there, Calliope!” Seeing that she had the attention of not only her girlfriend but her parents and her brother too, she took a moment to settle into her role as storyteller. “Okay, so the Chief called me into his office, right? I figured he was going to kick my ass, but he said that today wasn’t the first complaint he’s had about Stark, just the last straw. Apparently the last two weeks while we were gone, Peds hasn’t been running so smoothly. Webber said the schedule’s been messed up, patient’s parents have complained about Stark being late or not showing up at all, and Karev’s been running his ass off trying to cover the bases. The Chief said all the nurses and residents told him when he asked that I was the one who normally ran the schedule and stuff that the department head is supposed to be doing.” She took a deep breath, shrugging deprecatingly. “It’s not going to be immediate, but once Dr. Stark’s contract is up in three months, Peds is mine.”

“Darling, that’s wonderful,” Barbara gasped, pleased and proud of her daughter.

“Good for you,” added Tim, holding out one arm for a fist bump. “And another one,” he requested, pointing down at his wiggling toes.

Arizona cried, “Oh, Tim, that’s so great!” She couldn’t help laughing as she obliged him with another fist bump. “Oh my God, I didn’t even ask! I’m so sorry!” Her job was important to her, but nothing was more important than how Tim and Callie had come through their surgery.

He waved it off. “No worries. You were getting promoted. That’s big!”

“Not as big as you having surgery, you idiot,” Arizona denied, insult tinged with fondness for her big brother. “How are you feeling?”

Tim shifted in the bed, both hands pushing himself up against the pillows. “Your girl fixed me up good as new,” he boasted, grinning as Callie and Arizona both rolled their eyes at him. “Don’t scoff at me! I’m going to be back on my feet before you know it.”

“I really hope you are, Tim,” Callie said, one hand finding a spot on the small of Arizona’s back as she stepped up behind her girlfriend at the bedside. “But it won’t be quick and it won’t be easy.” She wished she could let him keep going with his hopeful optimism. But she was his doctor here, not his sister’s girlfriend. She caught her hand rubbing circles over the fabric of Arizona’s shirt, the blonde leaning into the touch.

He didn’t appear put off by her realist attitude. “It’s you and me, Callie. We got this,” he said, completely earnest and confident. “And after you and I get me walking, I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist that you let me take you dancing.” Arizona’s mouth opened to protest and he continued with a grin before his sister could say anything, “With no comment from you,” he added pointedly.

“Fine,” Arizona grumbled. “But I’m coming with and I will be watching you, buddy. So you will keep your hands where I can see them at all times.”

Barbara sighed from the other side of the bed, shaking her head at her children. “You two aren’t over fighting over girls?” Tim just grinned while Arizona rolled her eyes at him. “Not that I think you have a chance this time, Timothy…” Chuckling, Callie nodded confirmation and slid her hand around to grip Arizona’s hip, holding her girlfriend against her side. “You get along so well when you’re not squabbling over some girl. What was that one girl…?”

“Mom!” Tim cut in quickly before she could say any names and get him in trouble, shaking his head at her. “No, we’re not fighting. No fighting.” He gave Arizona a shallow smile, his dimples not popping. “I know I don’t have a shot with Callie, anyway,” he said in an effort to be reassuring. 

They had always gotten along well, their longest rocky patch coming in high school when confused, scared girls couldn’t make up their minds which of the Robbins siblings they actually wanted. And dating someone who’d just dumped his sister hadn’t been his finest moment. Teenage boys were thoughtless and stupid, though. But Callie didn’t have the same indecisive issue, obviously. 

“She’s clearly crazy for you.” Arizona started to smile as she felt Callie’s nod of agreement against the side of her neck, the Latina stepping fully behind her and wrapping her arm more completely around her waist. “And way out of my league,” he added with a note of finality, relieved when Arizona reached forward and patted his left leg lightly, not putting pressure on his heavy bandages.

“Okay, no need to outright lie,” Arizona joked. “You’re a good guy, Tim. And if she hadn’t had the good fortune to meet me first, you might have had a slim, small, tiny chance with my Calliope,” she acknowledged.

“We can’t date patients,” Callie chimed in, tone amused. In some other world where she hadn’t met Arizona, she might have noticed her brother. But in this life, she was happily in love with Arizona Robbins and Tim was just out of luck.

Timothy made a show of slumping his shoulders in disappointment before he straightened again and shrugged. “Oh well. It’ll all work out.”

Callie couldn’t help admiring his hopeful attitude. He was facing, optimistically, a few more weeks of surgeries and another few months of long, painful, hard physical therapy to get back what he’d lost. She knew she sure as hell wouldn’t be so steadily optimistic in the face of that. She’d be under a bar with a bottle of tequila. Or if she was single, she’d undoubtedly be crawling out of some random stranger’s bed.

But she wasn’t the one facing painful, grueling recovery (and that only if she could pull off her plan to fix his right leg), it was Tim. Tim, who was single and on his own, and yet still confident that they would get this done together.

“We will definitely go dancing,” she said, completely without thinking. “We’ll bring Teddy,” she added when Arizona’s head turned to give her a look. “And the Greys. Cristina is always a good time, too.”

The blonde scoffed. “Once she’s drunk, she’s a good time,” she corrected her girlfriend. “It would be fun though.” She leaned her head back against Callie’s shoulder, smirking in challenge. “Do you think Tim could keep up though? Even with two good legs, that group…”

“Oh, believe me, little sister, anyone you can hang with, I can keep up,” Tim declared, supremely confident. “Give me and Callie a few months to kick this shattered legs thing in the ass and I’ll be there.” Arizona grinned, feeling Callie’s body swaying them gently from side to side. “Now, I’m glad you didn’t get fired, and it’s good to see all of you, but I’m beat, so…”

“We’re going,” Arizona promised, leaning over to give him a kiss on the forehead. “Unfortunately, I have a lot of paperwork to do now.”

Tim rolled his eyes unsympathetically. “Oh, boo-hoo, sis! You got promoted, poor you!”

She gave him a swat to the arm. “Shut up. You have to lay around and do nothing, boo-hoo!”

“Alright, you two break it up,” Barbara interceded before either one could say anything more. “Arizona, leave your brother alone.”

“Hey, how is-”

Callie quickly pulled her back from the bed, waving one hand at Tim. “We’re going. Tim, I’ll check on you in the morning. Get some sleep. It’ll probably be a few days before we can operate again.”

He nodded, smiling confidently. “We got this, Callie.”


	4. Chapter 4

Callie could feel the sweat soaking into her scrub cap as she stared down into Timothy Robbins’ shattered right leg. She was wavering, nervous and unsure what to do.

“What are we doing?” Owen Hunt asked her, brows furrowed over his deep eyes. She’d asked him to assist on this surgery, the more difficult repairs it would require. She thought his career in the military as a trauma surgeon might give him some experience with similar injuries.

“The pins aren’t going to work here, no matter how much I wire it together,” she mused.

Owen nodded agreement. “Not if he wants any flexibility in his knee.”

“I want him to have flexibility,” confirmed Callie. “I want him to walk.” She was wracking her brain for her plan for this eventuality. “We could do a total knee replacement.”

His blue eyes scanned the draped leg in consideration. “Is the femoral head going to be able to hold?”

Callie was confident in her answer, her first bit of true confidence today. She hated feeling so unsure in her OR. It wasn’t because she didn’t know what she was doing, but because of who she was doing it on. “Yes, it’ll hold.”

“And the fibula and tibia?”

They’d done extensive work on the lower half of Tim’s leg, but there was no way the repairs to the bones would survive a knee instillation. She gnawed on her lip behind her mask, grateful that her colleagues couldn’t see her indecision. They could close up, let the bones heal some before they did the knee replacement, but it would mean adding months more to Tim’s recovery.

“It would take months before the bones were strong enough,” she said with a sigh. “And even then… This leg would be extremely weak, even after the knee repair.” Her next idea was extreme but would cut the recovery time down and would increase the chances that Tim would walk again. “What if we replaced the shattered bones entirely?” Her suggestion was met with surprised silence. “We wouldn’t be able to do anything more today, but we could go in again in a few days or next week, as soon as I could get the titanium parts I need.”

“That is extreme,” Hunt conceded, considering. “But it would work, wouldn’t it?”

“I can do it,” answered Callie, starting to regain her confidence. She was a rockstar. She could totally build bones. She met her friend’s eyes and nodded. “Let’s close him up for today and I’ll go over the options with the patient. If he wants to wait, we’ll wait.”

Owen nodded. “Sounds good, Dr. Torres.”

Callie met Arizona and her parents in the waiting room again, catching Arizona in a hug in what was becoming the post-surgery norm. “We finished with the femur, the thigh bone,” she clarified for the elder Robbins’ benefit, “but the lower half of his leg was obviously more damaged…”

“Are you going to have to amputate?” Barbara asked, voice trembling, and her husband wrapped an arm around her.

“That’s not the plan,” Callie reassured her. “We had to wire up the tibia and fibula because they were both in so many pieces,” Barbara whimpered, “and we can put rods in, but we’ve got some options from here. Tim’s going to need a knee replacement if he wants to walk again, but the bones in his lower leg aren’t strong enough yet. There’s a chance that the healed bones might not be strong enough for a knee replacement for another few months.”

“And Tim would be bedridden that whole time?” the Colonel asked, scowling at the thought.

Callie nodded regretfully, tightening her arm around Arizona’s waist as she felt her girlfriend lean into her. She knew how badly all of this was hurting her partner, couldn’t bear the thought of it dragging on for months. “Yes, for the most part. His left leg should be solid in a few more weeks, but he’d only be able to be on crutches and that would be extremely limited. Any accidents would set him back by at least a month, probably much longer.” The Robbins parents exchanged glances. “But I do have an idea to avoid all of that,” she said, her arm curling over Arizona’s shoulders and she could feel her girlfriend’s eyes on her. “It’s a little…extreme, so I want to talk to Tim before we go ahead with anything.”

“Extreme? How extreme?” he questioned.

“Very extreme,” Callie answered honestly. “And it wouldn’t be easy, but if Tim’s up for it, it’ll keep his recovery time down. We wouldn’t have to wait for his bones to heal, we could do the knee replacement in a few days.” She sighed heavily. “I’ll lay out the details for you, but let’s wait for Tim to wake up and we can talk, alright?” She could see the tension, the exhaustion in their faces, feel it in Arizona’s stiff posture at her side. “But it’ll be a little while, so how about you get some coffee, relax in his room for a bit?” she suggested.

The Colonel nodded, but Barbara slipped out of his supporting arm and hugged Callie suddenly, practically shoving Arizona out of her way. “Oh,” Callie gasped, surprised. “Mrs. Robbins…?”

“Thank you, Callie,” the older woman whispered into her shoulder. “Thank you for everything you’re doing for our son.”

Arizona moved to her father’s side, smiling as she watched her mother squeeze the life out of the woman she loved. She knew exactly what those hugs felt like and watching Callie get one made her heart swell. That hug had always meant that she was home. Now Callie meant she was home. Even now, with everything they were going through, everything they still had to get through, Callie was the one thing that comforted her, supported her, still made her smile and laugh effortlessly. She could fake it for her parents, but she didn’t have to fake it with Callie. And if she wasn’t feeling up to smiling or laughing, that was okay too. And she loved her more every single day for that. Throughout all of this, Callie had been wonderful, her rock even when she was stressing herself out as she made her own endless plans for her surgeries for Tim. But the thought of Callie joining her family, her home with her parents and her brother, made her fight a sudden impulse to drop to one knee right there in the waiting room.

She controlled that urge as her mother released her girlfriend. There was too much to get through with Timothy to give Callie a distraction like proposing. Her lover needed her focus. That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to think about it, though. Marrying Calliope Torres was something she needed to do. But she wanted to get it right. And making her own plans would be a wonderful distraction from the anxiety.

“Of course, Mrs. Robbins.”

“I thought I told you, call me Barbara,” she corrected Callie. “You love my daughter, you’re helping my son, you’re part of the family, Callie.” Arizona’s dimpled grin couldn’t be contained. Her parents loved Callie. But that wasn’t a surprise. Her Calliope was amazing.

“Barbara, don’t make a scene,” the Colonel requested, though his voice was fond. “Let’s get that coffee. We’ll see the girls in a while.”

Arizona slid back to Callie’s side as her parents left them, offering a coffee of her own from somewhere. Callie drank it gratefully, smiling fondly at the colorful travel mug she’d once stolen from Arizona’s kitchen. “Thank you, babe. I needed this. How are you doing?” she checked, concerned as always how the blonde was handling each stage of her brother’s recovery. Of course, she was worried about Tim as well, as his doctor, as someone who could hopefully be a friend when this was all over, but Arizona was the one she loved.

“Come on,” Arizona coaxed instead of answering, leading her back toward the OR hallway. “I know you want to take a shower.”

Callie let herself be pulled along, sipping her coffee as they walked. “Can I talk you through the idea while I’m in there, or do you have to go?” If Arizona didn’t want to share, there was no way to force her. She’d learned that lesson well the last week since Tim’s arrival. Hopefully explaining her idea would offer some reassurance, even if the other woman didn’t think she needed it.

“I’m all yours,” promised the blonde, shaking her head as they entered the locker room. “What have you got in mind for Tim?” Sighing, Callie tugged her scrub top and t-shirt over her head and dropped them thoughtlessly to the floor. Arizona’s hands intercepted hers at the tie at her waist. “Let me help,” she said softly, smiling. “This is my favorite part.”

Callie laughed, combing her own fingers through loose blonde hair. It certainly seemed like Arizona was doing alright if she was trying to get her naked in the locker room at work. “You like all the parts, Arizona.”

Smile became smirk, but Arizona didn’t deny it. “You’re sexy,” she said instead. “And I have perfect vision, Calliope. And I am very-”

Strong fingers drew her head up and pulled her into a searing kiss, Callie holding her flush against her body. “Tell me that I’m great,” Callie requested against her lips. Because if Arizona was okay, then she was free to be freaked to hell at the thought of replacing Tim’s bones.

Arizona kissed her again, both hands bunching and gripping in dark waves of hair. “You,” kiss, “are,” kiss, “great, Calliope.” The next kiss was slow, soft, and sweet. And suddenly Arizona was fighting another impulse to drop to one knee. It was ridiculous, though. She didn’t even have a ring yet. The locker room at work would never be the right setting to propose anyway, so she controlled herself, stepping back while her hands directed Callie toward the shower stall.

“Hey, you know…”

“No shower sex at work, Calliope,” Arizona reminded her gleefully, wicked smirk on her lips. She could understand how Callie liked denying her sex at work - it was kind of fun in a teasing way. “It’s your rule.”

Grumbling under her breath, Callie retreated behind the curtain and snapped it closed again with a final sullen glare for her girlfriend. 

Even grumpy, she was stunning and Arizona had to resist the urge to swoon ridiculously. “So, tell me about your idea for Tim.” She raised her voice to be heard over the water, leaning back against the cool tile wall that made up half of the shower stall.

It took Callie a few moments to answer, her voice distracted. “I want to build his bones out of titanium and completely replace the tibia and fibula.”

Blinking in surprise, Arizona muttered, “Whoa,” in disbelief. “You can do that?”

“Well, I don’t know. It would take some work, obviously, but I think I can do it.” Callie held back an appreciative moan as she leaned her head back into the hot water and closed her eyes, letting it pelt her face and hair. “He’s in good shape, it would shorten the recovery time, and I think it’s worth a shot, but it’s totally up to Tim.”

“Oh, he’ll go for it,” said Arizona confidently. “Tim would never turn down a chance to have a robot leg.”

Callie frowned, trying to make sure she’d heard her correctly. After a second, she poked her head out around the edge of the shower curtain. “Did you say robot leg?”

Arizona nodded, arms crossed her chest. “Like the Terminator…” she clarified matter-of-factly. Callie just gave her a confused, almost concerned look. “What? I’m just - that’s what he’s going to say!”

“It is not a robot leg!” Callie countered defensively.

“Um, it kind of is, Calliope,” the blonde declared, stubborn and insistent. “And it’s awesome.”

Callie groaned as she retreated back into the shower. “You’re not going to call it a robot leg in front of your parents, are you?”

Chuckling, Arizona grinned to herself. “I promise I won’t.”

“Thank you,” called Callie from the other side of the curtain.

“But I bet you Tim will.”

There was a clear challenge in her tone and Callie stuck her head out again. At this rate she’d never get the conditioner rinsed out of her hair. “Yeah, okay…” she agreed sarcastically.

“You think I don’t know?” Arizona questioned with an arched eyebrow. “I know my brother, Calliope. If he doesn’t say something about the Terminator, I’ll owe you whatever you want.”

Callie smirked, her own eyebrow rising. “Oh, well that sounds promising…”

“But when he proves me right, I expect the same deal,” she bargained with a teasing grin. She was totally confident about this. Tim absolutely wouldn’t let her down. And maybe the hot, hot sex she’d collect as her winnings would convince Callie that she wasn’t going to break down at any moment.

Laughing, Callie went back behind the shower curtain before she dragged her girlfriend in and under the water with her. The look in Arizona’s blue eyes was almost too much, the familiar darkening of her irises that told her exactly how much she was wanted. “Definitely. It goes without saying.”

“Good,” Arizona agreed from the other side of the barrier, smug. She kept her self control by keeping her distance, taking Callie’s hand after she was clothed again. Something about today just had her feeling affectionate and wanting to show her girlfriend exactly how much she loved her. It just felt like a good day. They still had their rules about staying professional at work though, rules she’d been paying less attention to since her personal life had come to basically live at her workplace.

She kept her hands to herself but didn’t let her hand go as they wandered toward Tim’s room. He was still sleeping and Callie moved forward to check on his readings. Everything was steady and stable and she breathed a sigh of relief. Even at her most confident, this was still Arizona’s brother she was working on, both his life and her life, the life she wanted with Arizona, at stake here.

Arizona pressed up behind Callie, chin on her shoulder as she read the look on her girlfriend’s face. “You’re an amazing doctor, Calliope. Don’t worry so much.” She turned her face into Callie’s neck, nuzzling her nose into soft skin. “I’m happy to help you relax, though,” she promised in a whisper.

“Arizona…” There had been a distinct lack of flirting with both of them being as distracted as they’d been. That drought was apparently over now. Not that that presented a problem for her. Whatever Arizona needed from her - be it quiet comfort, or flirty, hot sex - she was going to get it without reservation.

Their attention went back to the bed when Tim woke up coughing, a chuckle making its way out. “What’s up, doc?” he asked hoarsely, laughing at his own joke. Callie checked his monitors again, glad to see everything stay steady. “How’d it go?” The Robbins parents moved up on the other side of the bed to listen to Callie, the surgeon taking a deep breath. “What’s with all the serious faces?” Tim looked around at the rest of them. “How bad could it have been? I’m awake and,” he lifted the sheet to check his legs, “I’ve got both of my legs. I mean, they hurt like a bitch, but they’re still there… for now?”

“Well, we actually have a few things we need to go over about that,” Callie said, forcing her professionalism to hold. She was a rockstar. She could totally build bones. She was definitely not going to be the one to disable a brave, honorable Marine for life (especially not one who just so happened to be her lover’s brother.) “Just a few options before we go forward, alright?”

“Sure, okay,” Tim said, looking to Arizona for reassurance, his sister giving him a smile. “Whatcha got for me, Callie?”

The Latina took a moment to gather her thoughts, feeling Arizona shift to stand at her side, her hand moving into her own where Callie took it and squeezed. “You’re going to need a knee replacement, at the minimum.”

“Awesome,” he sighed, nodding for her to continue. “I’m guessing that’s the good news. What else?”

“Well, as it is right now, the two bones in the bottom half of your leg have been completely shattered.”

“Did it at least look cool in there? Can I look at some pictures?” He pushed himself up with one hand against the bed.

Barbara whimpered, squeezing her son’s hand. “Timothy,” the Colonel called him down sternly. His look spoke clearly - don’t upset your mother.

“Okay, I’m sorry. Mom, it’s okay,” he soothed her, letting her hold his hand. “Dr. Torres, please go on…”

Callie gave each of the Robbins a final look before diving into the explanation of her plan, “Okay, so we wired your leg back together, but it’s going to be months before the bone is healed enough for me to do the knee replacement. And even if we wait, there’s a chance of complication, infection, countless other things that could go wrong with the number of pieces your bones were in,” she warned him.

He sighed, expression falling. “Well, that sucks.”

“Well, I’ve got another idea, but it’s extremely radical,” Callie stated up front. “And you really need to think about it, alright?” She glanced sideways at Arizona, seeing her girlfriend hiding her smile even as her eyes were shadowed with worry and lack of sleep. “It’s not going to make anything easier, just cut down on the time that you’re off your feet.”

“Okay,” he agreed hesitantly. “Lay it on me, doc.”

Closing her eyes briefly, Callie obeyed, “I could build you new bones out of titanium, completely replace the shattered tibia and fibula. It would cut down on the risk of infection, I’d be able to do the knee replacement at the same time, and we’d have you in physical therapy that much faster.”

The elder Robbins stared at her for a long, quiet moment before their gaze dropped to look at their son. Even Tim looked stunned and Arizona shifted her hand in Callie’s, lacing their fingers. She had no idea about the risks and complications of such a surgery, didn’t know more than Callie had just told her parents, but she knew her girlfriend’s abilities. She trusted Callie with her brother. And if Tim wanted to do this and they needed reassurance from her, she’d give them nothing but faith in her Calliope.

“So, you’re saying… I’d have a robot leg, like the Terminator?” Tim asked slowly, his tone disbelieving.

Arizona abruptly dropped Callie’s hand to throw both arms up in victory, nodding and shooting her girlfriend a smug smile when Callie’s head turned to look at her.

“What’s that about? Are you guys fighting about my robot leg? Arizona, you have to let me have a robot leg! Callie’s awesome! She can totally build me a sweet Terminator leg!” Tim insisted, unconsciously raising his voice. “You can do it, right, Callie?”

Arizona just arched an eyebrow at her, nodding her back toward her conversation with Tim. “Yeah, I can do it, but it’s not going to be simple. It’s a serious decision, Tim. And whatever you want to do, I’ll do it.”

“I want the robot leg,” he declared immediately, head nodding.

“No, wait, Timothy. Callie said you needed to think about it,” Barbara interjected, not wanting her son to make such an important decision because he wanted to have a metal leg. “It all sounds good, Callie, but there has to be a downside, right?”

Callie nodded, feeling Arizona retake her hand, wrapping her arm through Callie’s. “Your mom’s right, Tim. It has a lot of risks.”

He sat up straighter against his pillows, nodding back to her. “Okay, lay out the worst case scenario for me,” he requested. “If it doesn’t work, I lose my leg?”

“In a word, yes,” Callie gave him his answer. “If I take out your bones below the knee but for some reason the titanium skeleton doesn’t work, I’m not sure what it would take to fix it.” She met Tim’s eyes solidly, brown instead of blue, but similar in shape to his sister’s eyes. The resemblance was unmistakable, even with the difference in coloring. “At that point, it would be safer for me to just amputate at the knee. But they do amazing things with prosthetics and I’d do everything I could to get you set up with the best one out there… Also, you understand that the metal bones would be inside your leg, so it wouldn’t look exactly like a Terminator leg,” she said, rolling her eyes slowly.

Considering, Tim was quiet. His free hand scrubbed through his hair, the top of it no longer military short after his weeks in the hospital. He had the scruff of a beard on his cheeks as well and he scratched at his jaw. The hair on top of his head was a dark, sandy blonde, much darker than Arizona’s hair color but still blonde, but his facial hair was darker still with reddish highlights that matched their father’s shade. “I want to do it,” he declared finally after a few minutes of thought.

“You’ve barely had any time to think, Timothy!” Barbara objected, squeezing his hand.

“Mom, this is how I do things. I can’t not do it because I’m afraid it won’t work.” He gave her a smile, so similar to Arizona’s dimpled smile that it made Callie’s heart thump harder in her chest.

Glancing sideways at Arizona, Callie saw that she was getting the same smile, a blonde head leaning over to rest against her shoulder. “Thank you,” whispered Arizona.

Callie knocked her head lightly against the head on her shoulder. “I told you not to say that to me.”

“Callie.” Her name from the bed drew both of their attention. “I’m not trying to rush anything, so take your time building my robot bones, but I want to do it,” Tim said, steady and sure and confident. The surgeon fought the urge to roll her eyes at the continued robot comments and he smirked. “I’ll be your cyborg,” he added just to bug her.


	5. Chapter 5

The cold breeze dragged Callie Torres to consciousness better than almost anything else would have and she groaned in sleepy complaint as fingers pushed the fabric of her top up slowly, warm lips scattering kisses across her stomach. “Arizona, it’s cold,” she grumbled, her own hand searching blindly for the misplaced covers. “What’re you doing?”

Warm breath tickled a chuckle against her skin. “What does it feel like I’m doing?”

“It feels like you’re trying to make me late for work,” Callie answered, the realization of what exactly her girlfriend was distracting her from sinking in and making her shoot up in bed, Arizona rolling off with a groan.

“That’s what I was trying to avoid,” the blonde muttered. “Calliope, you’ve got to relax.” She sat up beside her and rubbed her back gently. Callie had been patient and loving with her for weeks now, today of all days, she wanted to give that back to her partner. “You’ve done more prep work for this surgery than I’ve done on my last five procedures.” Of course, she wasn’t cutting today, though.

Callie shot her a look over her shoulder. “Maybe that’s because I’m a better surgeon than you,” she said teasingly. There was no professional jealousy between them, just lighthearted teasing. Arizona was a genius with her kids, and no one else could do all the things she could. But Arizona would be just as hopeless as anyone else if she had to do one of Callie’s surgeries.

Mouth dropping open, Arizona lunged at her, tackling her to the bed, though they were dangerously close to pitching over the side. Forgoing words, she kissed her girlfriend slowly, hands roaming her sides as she coaxed Callie into relaxing, even if she didn’t realize that that’s what Arizona was doing.

All that effort was wasted in a heartbeat when Arizona whispered the thought that she had been completely unable to shake out of her head the last few weeks - seeing Callie interact and become part of her family, she wanted to make it official. “I want to marry you.”

Brown eyes went wide in a heartbeat. “Um, what…?” Heart pounding suddenly, Callie forced herself to breathe. “What happened to - Oh my God - Arizona!” She’d been holding her head up to keep contact between their lips, but she suddenly flopped back and let her head hang over the side of the bed. Her breath was coming harder and she tried to think past ‘holy shit, had that just happened?’ It was a less than successful effort.

Arizona didn’t move off of her, frozen as her panicked mind tried to figure out how this had happened. She wanted to marry Callie, but blurting it out while they were kissing in bed wasn’t any one of the plans she’d made. She didn’t even have a ring yet. Taking a deep breath and holding it for a moment, Arizona stared down at her lover, leaning in to kiss her extended neck. “Okay, so I said I want to marry you,” she mused, trying to sound optimistic. “That’s only bad if you don’t want to marry me.”

That got Callie’s head up. “Don’t be stupid, Arizona!”

“Stop!” Arizona interjected quickly. “I - we can’t get engaged this morning. I might have just thrown it right out there, but this is not how we’re going to get engaged. This was officially a statement. I want to marry you. I’m not asking you to marry me. Not yet.”

The corners of Callie’s mouth curled into a smile, one eyebrow rising. “You want to marry me…”

“I do,” confirmed the blonde, head tilting to meet her as Callie leaned in.

“That’s not your line… yet,” she whispered against her lips, Arizona whimpering into the kiss as Callie flipped them. Any nerves she’d been feeling about what was hopefully going to be Tim’s final surgery were completely wiped out in the feel of kissing Arizona. This woman loved her. This woman wanted to marry her. Abruptly, Callie pulled back from the kiss, her bottom lip sliding from between Arizona’s teeth with a pop. “I just - I need to say one thing, okay?” Arizona nodded almost meekly. “I was married before,” the blonde flinched, “and it was a disaster,” the twitch was worse, “so, the next time I get married, that’s it,” she said, needing to know that Arizona felt the same way about it. “So when I say that I want to marry you, I mean that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Arizona Robbins.”

Arizona couldn’t help nuzzling her nose against Callie’s, a soft, peaceful smile on her face. “That’s exactly what I want too, Calliope.”

Hearing the alarm on her phone kept Callie from responding beyond a whining groan. “As much as I would love to stay here with you…”

“You’re giving Tim his robot leg today.” Arizona kissed her quickly before removing herself from beneath her girlfriend. “You’re going to be amazing, babe.”

Callie nodded, forcing herself to remain in the blissful feeling Arizona had put in her chest this morning. She didn’t have the space inside to be anxious. Because Arizona freaking Robbins wanted to marry her. “Just remember that you said you wouldn’t get jealous when me and Tim go dancing.”

Arizona’s mouth dropped open as they rose from the bed, shaking her head in denial as she sifted through a drawer. “I never said I wouldn’t get jealous! I said we’d go out with him. You’re the one who said you’d dance with my brother. And I never agreed to not being jealous!” She scanned her girlfriend’s body with blazing blue eyes. “Big brother just better watch his hands is all I’m saying…”

Her partner’s exaggerated jealousy was still making Callie smile when she wheeled Tim into the OR, his eyes surveying her. “I can imagine what’s got that look on your face, but since she’s my sister, I’m going to pretend that you’re just confident about our surgery,” he declared, offering his arm to the nurse and letting himself get prepped for surgery.

“You’re ready for this, right?” she checked. “If you’re not…”

Tim cut her off with a resolute shake of the head. “We’ve got this, Callie. Cyborg me.”

Muttering under her breath but smiling as she did it, Callie left him with a gentle slap to the shoulder. “Cyborg…” The scrub room door opened from the hall just as she came in from the operating room, Arizona giving her a weak smile. “What is it with Tim and the robot, cyborg, Terminator thing?” Callie questioned curiously with a laugh.

The smile became more relaxed, genuine. “Terminator was his favorite movie when he was a kid. And he’s had a thing for robots his whole life.” Arizona laughed, glancing through the window at her brother sleeping peacefully under the anesthesia mask. The sound of her laughter was hoarse and hollow, her anxiety unable to be restrained as the day progressed. “Believe me, you’re fulfilling a lifelong dream of his here.”

Callie watched Arizona’s expression and gently turned her away from the window. “You know you can’t watch, sweetheart,” she reminded her softly. “You’ll freak out, and I’ll be nervous - well, more nervous…”

“No, I don’t want to watch,” Arizona agreed, looking faintly sick at the thought. “I just came to tell you one more time that you’re a rockstar and I love you.”

Smiling, Callie gave her a reassuring wink, leaning in to kiss her softly. She already had her scrub cap on, so Arizona couldn’t grab onto her hair the way she liked, but she could still feel her girlfriend’s hand brush across her jaw and the back of her neck. “I love you too,” Callie whispered as they pulled back, Arizona sidestepping to avoid the door opening.

Owen didn’t look surprised to see her there, just smiled and started to scrub. “Ladies…” he greeted them dryly.

“Okay,” said Arizona, backing toward the door. “I’m going to go now, but you two… You’ve got this.”

Callie nodded confirmation. “We’ve got this, Arizona. See you in a few hours, okay?”

The blonde just nodded as the door swung closed behind her, Callie shaking herself and joining Owen at the sinks. “It’s a good plan, Torres,” he said, not the first time he’d offered such reassurances. “I’ll keep everything stable, you just have to install the titanium.”

“Robot bones,” Callie muttered, drawing a look from her redheaded co-surgeon.

“What?” he asked, smiling as he tied his mask behind his neck.

“Tim, the patient, has a thing for robots so ever since I told him what I wanted to do, he’s been saying that I’m giving him a robot leg, or turning him into a cyborg, or the Terminator, or whatever,” Callie explained, unable to help chuckling herself.

Owen took a moment to consider that, straightening his mask. “Well then, Dr. Torres, let’s go give the patient his robot leg,” he declared, leaving her laughing at the sink.

Callie calmed herself before she went into the OR, regaining her serious, hardcore persona before she took her spot at the table and called for a ten blade. The work went steadily, Callie feeling herself slide into a focused haze where the only thing in her mind was putting bones she’d built into place and making them work. She couldn’t think about the hopeful thought Arizona had planted in her mind, she couldn’t remember that this was Arizona’s big brother she was trying to heal. It was an amazing, hardcore surgery and she was rocking it. That was all there was to it.

A glance into the crowded gallery showed Karev and Teddy watching, but thankfully no Arizona. She knew she’d freeze up if the blue eyes she adored were watching her operate on Tim. She gave them a reassuring nod, confident that they were in the homestretch. “How we doing up there, Dr. Hunt?” she asked, putting her drill back on her tray. As long as everything was stable, she was ready to close.

“Everything is holding steady. Did you finish with the robot leg?” he asked, meeting her eyes over the table and she could tell he was smiling even behind his mask.

“The robot bones are in,” Callie confirmed, smiling herself as he leaned over to look at what she’d done. “What do you think?”

Owen nodded, light blue eyes scanning the work. “I think you’re going to make a man walk, Dr. Torres. Are you ready to close?”

The Ortho surgeon rechecked every connection before she agreed, taking what felt like her first breath in hours only after they’d finished their work and she snapped off her gloves to the applause from her staff and their audience in the gallery, tearing off her mask to grin up at her friends in the observation deck. Teddy gave her a smile and Alex pointed over his shoulder, clearly wanting to go tell Arizona the good news. Callie gave him a nod of permission, laughing when he bolted.

“Good work, Callie,” Owen congratulated her, one hand patting her shoulder as he passed her into the scrub room. She didn’t speak, wasn’t sure she could, just heaved a breath of relief and let her body relax. She’d done the best she could do, the best anyone could have done with Tim’s situation. The work was by no means over, but it was on Tim’s shoulders now. She could simply be his loving sister’s girlfriend - with a professional investment in his recovery.

Swallowing hard, both hands pulled her scrub cap off, fingers unwinding the hair at the back of her neck and letting her head roll back on her neck as she relaxed for the first time in the weeks since Tim’s arrival. She took her time scrubbing out, already smiling when she pushed the door open to find Arizona waiting for her in the hallway.

“You…” The blonde was breathless and she moved forward to kiss her without speaking, moaning when both of Callie’s arms slid around her hips, holding her tight against the Ortho surgeon’s body. The kiss was slow, full of lips and tongues, and Arizona held her girlfriend’s face with both hands. “You did it,” she whispered against her mouth.

“Pulled off the robot leg,” Callie answered her, starting to feel almost giddy with her success.

“Do you know how amazing this is, Calliope? How many people you can help?” But lips were back on hers and she couldn’t say more. Abruptly, Arizona giggled, pulling her head back. “The Chief is going to love you!” she gasped in realization, teasing. Dr. Webber had a well-known fondness for any surgeon that could increase his hospital’s prestige. And this would certainly do it.

“Arizona, we’re not even sure that it’s going to work right,” Callie reminded them both. “There could be complications, or…”

Arizona’s head shook in denial. “Nope, no way, not listening,” she interrupted. “This is you, my hardcore, rockstar girlfriend, and Tim, my heroic, cyborg brother. You built his awesome robot leg and he’s going to use it to do whatever he wants.” Abruptly, she looked straight into Callie’s eyes, silently taking her in. This was the woman she loved. Brilliant, talented, gorgeous, and this woman loved her. It was miraculous. “I changed my mind…” she mused.

Callie’s eyes widened slowly, thinking of only one thing that Arizona could have possibly changed her mind on. It was the only thing that would have made her more completely overwhelmed with joy than rocking her surgery, marrying Arizona, and she could practically feel it slipping away from her suddenly. “What?!” Her voice was breathy and soft, not able to put words to the sudden fear.

Arizona could see it on her face, though. “No, Calliope, no!” She shook her head quickly. “I didn’t change my mind about that,” she continued quickly. “I meant that I changed my mind about this morning - about waiting for some dumb occasion to propose.” Callie’s face relaxed and she started to smile. “I love you more than anything, but I want commitments, and I want rings, and I want to marry you.” The smile on Callie’s lips grew in a heartbeat. “Marry me,” Arizona repeated her desire, blue eyes wide and hopeful. She knew Callie loved her, had even said that morning that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her, but no one anywhere had ever asked someone to marry them and not been nervous.

Callie didn’t hesitate. “Yes!” she said, still breathless.

“Oh my God, really?” Arizona couldn’t help double-checking, even as she laughed happily.

“Yes,” Callie said again, laughing herself. “Yes, I will marry you, Arizona.” Her arms tightened around her lover, her fiancée, and leaned in for a long, slow, deep kiss. She was going to get to do this every day for the rest of her life. It made her smile against soft lips. Arizona’s lips parted as she smiled too, teeth nipping gently at Callie’s bottom lip. “So, we’re engaged?” Callie checked, whispering. They were still in the OR hall, in the middle of the day, at their job. It was a miracle they hadn’t been interrupted yet. Though it was possible that Karev was warning people to steer clear.

“We’re engaged,” confirmed Arizona happily. She took another kiss, her eyes falling closed. They were both still smiling languidly as the kiss ended. “Can I just - could we not -?” stammering, Arizona stopped herself and took a deep breath. “Do you mind if we don’t tell my parents yet?” she requested. “Not that I don’t want to,” she clarified rapidly. “I just - I want to keep you for myself for a while.”

Nodding, Callie leaned in to nuzzle against the blonde’s cheek. “I know exactly what you mean. We don’t have to tell anyone yet.” She smiled against pale skin. “Are you going to tell Tim?” Watching them together since Tim’s arrival, she knew that they were very close. Arizona had no secrets from her big brother.

She shook her head, though. “Not yet.” Arizona let her head rock sideways, giving Callie’s lips room to explore her neck. “Though it will be pretty obvious something’s up if you give me a hickey.”

Callie just licked a slow path up toward her ear. “I just rocked a major surgery,” the Latina reminded her, the words a hot breath against her skin. “And if I rock you after, it doesn’t mean they can figure out we’re engaged,” she reasoned, Arizona gasping in reaction as traitorous fingers curled into dark hair and held her in her spot. 

This was breaking all of their rules about public affection at work but she couldn’t bring herself to care - if Callie wanted to celebrate in the hallway, she was going to go with it as long as it meant that Calliope’s hands stayed on her. A warm, strong body pushed her gently into the wall, keeping her in place through contact. “I love you,” the blonde gasped out as she surrendered willingly, Callie abandoning her neck to kiss her on the mouth.

“Come on,” she said after a firm, passionate kiss. “We need to get out of this hallway.” The glance Callie directed around the empty passage was positively promising and Arizona felt a shiver slide down her spine. She could only imagine what was in store for her once they got some privacy. “We are not having sex in this hospital, Arizona,” Callie whispered, brown eyes playful. The blonde groaned in needy protest. “Your parents are waiting on us.” A cute pouty grimace was her response.

“Fine,” Arizona declared petulantly, grumpy. “But you owe me sex, woman.”

“Your parents are staying with us,” Callie reminded her, blue eyes glaring at her.

Arizona pointedly clarified, “You owe me a lot of sex. I’ll make sure Alex gets stuck here charting after my parents leave…”

Chuckling, Callie stepped back to release Arizona from the wall, pulling her along toward the doors. “We don’t have to kick him out to have sex, Arizona. He has a TV in his room now.”

“We’ll get him noise-cancelling headphones,” Arizona declared, fingers laced through Callie’s. The Latina sent her a look and she shrugged, grinning and clearly pleased with her idea. “What? His birthday is coming up.”

“Oh, so you don’t celebrate your own birthday and refuse to let anyone else celebrate it, but you remember everybody else’s birthdays?” Callie questioned, rolling her eyes.

The blonde head nodded, still grinning cheerfully. “Yes, Calliope. Alex and I have lived together for a long time and he’s my friend. It would be rude if I didn’t get him anything.” She paused, expression becoming wicked. “Just like it would be rude to have loud, energetic, sex for days with my new fiancée and not give him a way to not hear us.”

Callie couldn’t fight a grin of her own. This was shaping up to be her best day ever. If only they could actually have some of this celebration sex Arizona was so eagerly planning. “You’re right,” she agreed dryly. “That would be rude.” She bumped an elbow lightly against her girlfriend’s ribs. “Let’s at least get him the nice ones that will connect wirelessly to his TV.”

“Oh, of course!” Arizona agreed, both of them laughing as they walked.

*****

Their resolve to not have celebratory sex in the hospital lasted exactly one minute after the elder Robbins had gone for dinner. Tim was sleeping again and they were both still on shift. They couldn’t go home for another six hours. 

Arizona didn’t even say anything, just glanced sideways and caught Callie’s eyes, letting a smirk take over her lips. Callie’s gaze jumped across her face and downward and she bit her own bottom lip, clearly in the middle of a mental struggle. “Oh, come on,” she said as she surrendered, reaching over and taking her hand, Arizona grinning at her as she let herself be towed out of her brother’s room and toward the nearest on-call room.

The door was pushed closed behind the blonde’s body, Callie’s holding her pressed to the flat surface while they kissed passionately. One of Arizona’s hands was in dark hair while the other scrambled blindly for the lock on the door. They might not be being subtle about it, but she was not going to let anyone interrupt her celebration sex with her fiancée.

Callie’s hands groped her ass and Arizona laughed in between deep, wild kisses. “I can’t believe I’m the one who gets grief for loving your butt,” she teased. She liked that Callie liked her butt. Strong hands gripped and lifted, prompting a short yelp that was cut off by another kiss.

Moving them off the door, Callie dumped her into the narrow twin bed, grateful at least that they’d stumbled into one of the rooms equipped without bunk beds. Neither one of them wanted to stop for a concussion. To say nothing of the embarrassment of needing a Neuro consult for a sex injury. Shepherd was a nice guy, stayed out of the hospital rumor mill as much as he could, but even he wasn’t that nice that they wanted him to know about this.

Eager hands tugged Arizona’s scrub top (thankfully the only shirt she was wearing) over her head, discarding it carelessly to the floor while a hot mouth explored the newly uncovered territory. Arizona was quick to retaliate, pulling Callie’s layers of scrub top and t-shirt up her back and throwing them to join hers on the floor. Neither one could stop a moan when skin touched skin, though Arizona’s noise was more in protest when Callie caught her hands and guided them up to the bar at the head of the bed. 

“No touching,” the Latina ordered, already kissing down the blonde’s neck.

“Yeah, screw that!” denied Arizona, hips jumping when Callie skated one hand smoothly beneath her drawstring waist. “Calliope!” she whined desperately. “This is not fair!” Callie was easily holding both of her wrists hostage against the metal bar with only one hand. Fingers slid into her underwear and she couldn’t breathe to protest further. They slipped to where she needed them, but only played lightly for a few seconds before withdrawing.

“You locked the door, didn’t you?” Callie lifted her head to ask.

“Of course I did, Calliope! Now let me go! I need to touch you!”

“Not yet,” Callie stated, pulling her hand back to undo the strings at Arizona’s waist. “I’m taking your pants off and I’m going to take you.” Arizona could only swallow hard. “Because we’re engaged, and I rocked my surgery, and I want to rock you too.”

“You do,” gasped Arizona, not above some desperate pleading if it meant she got to touch Callie. “You’re unbelievable! I’ve never been with anyone that touches me like you do!”

Lifting her head, Callie gave her an amused smirk, brown eyes delighted but determined. “Sweet talking and sucking up are nice, but it’s not going to work,” she wrapped Arizona’s fingers around the bar, gently forcing her to hold onto it, “Now, can I trust you not to let go, or do I have to hold you still?”

Arizona just blinked at her, not sure she’d ever been so turned on in her life. Suddenly she was desperate to find out what Callie wanted to do with her and she only dimly recognized that she was nodding, tightening her grip on the cool metal. Nodding might be all she had left. Speech might have completely deserted her. At the very least, there were no words left in her mind at this moment.

“That’s my girl,” Callie murmured as she released her lover’s wrists, triumphant smirk on her lips. Both hands were immediately at Arizona’s waist and she sat back on her heels as she peeled the pants and panties down her partner’s (wife-to-be, her brain reminded her) impossibly long and fantastic legs. She had a big thing for Arizona’s legs. And at this moment, she kind of wanted them wrapped around her head.

The small bed meant that there wasn’t room to stretch out, so she just scooted forward and scooped both hands under Arizona’s ass, smirking when the subsequent lift drew a yelp of surprise from the blonde. She grasped the idea quickly enough though, looping one limb then the other over Callie’s shoulders where she was sitting on her knees between her legs.

“Are you sure?” Arizona asked before Callie could lower her mouth to the scorching hot wetness between her thighs.

A challenging eyebrow answered her. “You think I’m going to drop you?” Callie smacked a quick kiss to the inside of her left thigh. “I’m not going to drop you. This can be your ab workout. You won’t have to go to the gym,” she teased.

Arizona laughed, blue eyes sparkling. She got to spend the rest of her life with this woman. It was unbelievable. “Calliope, you think I’ve had to go to the gym since I met you? You keep me plenty in shape, baby!”

Grinning back down at her, Callie gave the butt and hips she was cradling in her hands a squeeze and started licking down toward the other woman’s center. A clearing throat stopped her with a sigh. “Arizona, if you don’t want to…”

“No!” the blonde yelped loudly. “No, no stopping! I just…” She looked almost sheepish and curled one knee slowly. “I feel kind of dumb with just socks on,” she admitted, biting her lip.

Callie smirked but shifted her lover’s lower half to one hand, balancing her carefully while her other hand efficiently stripped her of her socks and threw them toward the rest of her clothes. “Okay now? Because I want to get my tongue on you now.”

Arizona was left speechless again, just nodding briskly while retightening her grip on the bar at her head. Her eyes locked on Callie’s and neither looked away as Callie bent her head to her task, mouthing the blonde’s clit. She took her time, licking and sucking and diving inside as she pleased, Arizona’s hips unable to keep from jumping in her hands. The blonde was left bucking and helpless to the pleasure, the long, slow stretches of driving Arizona up gradually and then slowing down further to torment her.

Her back and abs were going to be sore, but it was going to be so worth it, she decided. And Callie gave the best massages ever anyway. Her hands were incredible no matter where she was touching her. “Oh my God,” she panted between gasps and whimpers and moans after an indeterminate amount of time, hanging onto the bar with everything she had. “Calliope, please, I love you, please,” she pleaded, unable to take it anymore, needing to come more than air.

Giving in, Callie’s suction tightened around her clit and she went over the edge with a strangled moan, clenching her teeth to keep quiet. No one would be surprised by what they were doing in here, but that didn’t mean they wanted people to come looking for them. Callie drank up all of her with a smile on her mouth as she finished and pulled back, shifting so she could put Arizona’s hips back on the bed. 

Licking her lips in satisfaction, she stretched out along the narrow bed with her while the blonde caught her breath. “You doing okay?” Callie asked, undeniably smug. One hand stroked lightly across her lover’s tight, clenching stomach. “I’ll give you a massage when we get home,” she promised.

“Oh my God,” Arizona gasped again, prying her hands from the bar gingerly and flexing her stiff fingers. “I’m so screwed if I have to operate today.” Alex was good though. And he would be eager to lead and probably wouldn’t think hard enough about it to tease her for why she was letting him solo.

Chuckling, Callie leaned over and kissed her softly. “Thank you,” she whispered, trailing more kisses across her cheek.

Arizona cracked one eye open, laughing breathlessly. “Isn’t that my line, Calliope?” She moaned when the hand on her stomach circled gently, soothing her tired muscles. Every touch from Callie set her on fire. “How are you? You okay?”

“I’m perfect,” Callie answered her, smiling. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” she asked, considerate and concerned. Trailing her eyes down the flushed flesh on display, she had to bite back another wide, pleased grin, rubbing her palm up and down Arizona’s torso.

Arizona reached up with one fumbling hand to catch the back of her head and pull her down for a kiss. “Anytime you want to do that again, I’m completely up for it.” She grinned, kissing her again. “You’ll just do that and I’ll have awesome abs.” Callie chuckled. There was no downside to that plan. “Is there anything I can do for you?” she asked hopefully.

The brunette arched an eyebrow, nuzzling under her jaw softly. “You don’t have surgery?”

Waving that off, Arizona coaxed Callie’s head up enough to kiss her again. “Nah, nothing Alex can’t handle. I’d much rather stay in here with you.” Callie’s smile did nothing to calm her racing heart. “My fiancée…” she whispered happily.

Callie bit her lip, eyes shining. “We’re getting married,” she agreed, Arizona nodding against the tiny bed’s single pillow. “So, like a wedding, and a reception, and rehearsal, and everything…” She’d been married before, but she’d never actually had a real wedding. She wasn’t counting Vegas with no family or friends around as a real wedding, even if the resultant marriage had been all too legal. Marrying Arizona might not be legal, but it was sure as hell going to be the rest of her life.

“Yeah,” whispered Arizona, looking up at her. “That stuff’s good, but you know the part I want?” Callie just raised one eyebrow curiously. “I want everything else, everything that comes after. I want to be your wife, and fall asleep beside you every night, and wake up all snuggled together every morning no matter how much space there is between us when we go to sleep.” Callie smiled. She couldn’t help it. No matter how much she sprawled and moved in her sleep, they inevitably woke up wrapped up in each other’s arms. She loved it but wasn’t really aware that Arizona had noticed, much less enjoyed it. “That’s the stuff I’m excited for.”

“We already do all that stuff, Arizona,” Callie reminded her, licking her lips and still trailing fingers across her lover’s bare midsection. “We live together.” Realizing something, she blinked and lifted her head enough to be able to see Arizona’s face clearly. “Wait, getting engaged, we’re not going to stop sleeping together or something insane like that? I don’t have to move into the spare room or something, do I?”

Arizona’s blue eyes went wide, mouth dropping open. “Hell no! Are you crazy?!” Unconsciously, her fingers tightened in the waist of the Ortho surgeon’s scrub pants. Why the hell was Callie still wearing clothes anyway? And talking craziness like sleeping apart? “No! No sleeping in the other room and no pants! Lose them!” she ordered, realizing that she was talking about two separate issues, but not caring.

It was Callie’s turn to blink but she smirked and sat up, shimmying her scrubs down her legs and kicking them off. “Better?” she asked, tangling their legs together.

“Yes,” Arizona declared immediately, dimples framing her wide smile. She wiggled deeper into the bed, giggling when Callie slid an arm under her head. She loved being close like this to the woman she loved. “So we’re not giving it up for however long it takes to plan a wedding,” she stated definitively, her voice soft and sweet. A cute grimace appeared on her expression. “How long does it take to plan a wedding anyway? What kind of wedding do you want?”

Unable to resist, Callie leaned over to kiss between her eyes, feeling the furrow soften beneath her lips. “I want any kind of wedding that ends up with you at the other end of the aisle,” a pause, “And no Elvises of any kind,” she added with a smirk.

Arizona slapped her butt sharply in retaliation. “You think you’re really funny, don’t you?” she asked with a laugh. There was a time she never would have been able to imagine joking about Callie’s previous marriage. But between that time and this one Callie had done nothing but demonstrate daily how committed she was to their relationship and to Arizona herself. And this marriage was going to last. She got forever with Calliope Torres. What had come before, whoever had come before, they were together, were getting married. Nothing else mattered. 

“I am funny,” Callie declared with a laugh. “You mean that’s not why you’re marrying me?”

Arizona giggled herself, her hand on Callie’s ass lingering and rubbing over her cotton panties. “It’s on the list,” she agreed, distracted. “But it’s a very long list, Calliope.” Arizona delivered another gentle pat on the butt. She could list reasons all day on why she loved Callie, why she needed her, why she wanted nothing more than to be her wife. Making a decision, Arizona shifted down off of the pillow, off of Callie’s arm, catching her hands and moving them to the bar where Callie had held hers. “It’s your turn to hold on now,” she stated, smiling eagerly.

Callie’s eyebrow arched. She freaking loved that eyebrow. 

“Oh yeah?” the brunette questioned.

“Yes,” Arizona said, pulling Callie’s leg over her once her lover’s hands were gripping the bar and dragging the panties out of her way as she wiggled further down the bed. Callie’s chest was too tempting and she leaned up on her elbows to trail kisses down her neck and breasts, tracing the cups of her bra with her tongue.

“Arizona…” Callie’s voice was a throaty moan that succeeded in dragging her away, drawing her down her fiancée’s body. She would do anything that voice said, anything to keep that tone in her voice. Callie helped by moving up on her knees as Arizona moved down the bed.

All she had to do was lift her head and she would have Callie in her mouth, on her tongue. But she paused, teasing the way she’d been teased. And if Callie thought she was getting off easily, she was going to be sorely mistaken. “Don’t let go,” she ordered, leaning her head back momentarily to meet wanting dark brown eyes.

Callie’s hips rocked down to meet her tongue as her answer, Arizona humming against her and drawing a strangled, “Oh fuck,” from Callie. Hands on the backs of her thighs kept her steady while Arizona made a slow feast out of her, pulling out all of the teasing stops to make her crazy. Callie felt her peak coming more than once only to have Arizona slow even further, withdrawing and keeping her on the edge. It took a little bit to get her there, but Callie wasn’t above pleading, “Arizona, please, I need you, please…”

And Callie begging for her was undeniably hot and definitely did things for her, but they were still at work and Arizona couldn’t take as long as she’d prefer. So she tightened her lips around the Latina’s clit, steady increased suction sending her over the edge with a gasping moan, Callie’s head hanging between her braced arms as Arizona ate her up. Teasing over, Arizona just did anything and everything she could think of to make Callie feel good.

Moving only became possible after she’d started coming down, Callie releasing the bar to slide herself down Arizona’s body on the bed so she could kiss her, both of them breathing hard. Callie moaned at the taste of herself on the blonde’s lips, hand on her face as she scattered kisses across forehead and cheeks and lips. “Mmh, thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you,” she gasped out between kisses, Arizona catching her lips and leaning up a little in pursuit. “Mngh, I love you, “she repeated as the kiss ended, each of them breathless.

“I love you,” Arizona echoed, smiling sweetly at her. “I get to marry you,” she whispered, almost not believing it. Callie just kissed her again, nestling her head next to Arizona’s on the pillow, sliding her arm back across her waist and rubbing the still sore muscles in her stomach. The room fell quiet, probably the only room in the hospital that was, but it wasn’t uncomfortable, just peaceful, each of them basking in their future.

A beep from her discarded pants broke the silence and made Arizona groan. “No…”

Callie leaned over her to reach the pants, pulling Arizona’s pager up to see the display. “Sorry, babe, you’ve got to go.”

“No, no, no, no,” the blonde denied, groaning and covering her stomach protectively as she sat up. She definitely wouldn’t need the gym this week.

Grimacing in sympathy, Callie leaned up on her side and watched her stand up, Arizona moving slowly. She was clearly sore and aching. “Arizona, I’m so sorry. I didn’t…”

She leaned over the still prone woman to kiss her. “Don’t apologize for that,” she ordered, tugging her top back on. “I liked it. Do I need to apologize for what I did?” Callie just shot her a look. “Exactly. As long as you liked it, we’re good. Okay?”

“Okay,” Callie agreed, relieved. She sat up with a smile. “I swear I will give you the massage of your life when we get home.”

“I’ll be looking forward to that,” Arizona said, shooting her a wink over her shoulder as she hopped into her sneakers and left, Callie flopping back onto the narrow bed and breathing deep. That woman was going to be her wife. Awesome.


	6. Chapter 6

Arizona was breathing steadily as she jogged on the treadmill, watching Tim’s slow, short steps between the parallel bars from across the physical therapy gym. Three months after his last surgery he was still in recovery, though having Callie as a housemate meant that he was free to be treated as an outpatient, only having to come in so his workouts could be monitored. He wasn’t back on his feet yet, couldn’t walk without crutches or supportive beams on either side of him, so he was in the gym every day, working to free himself from the wheelchair he was restrained to otherwise.

The elder Robbins had stayed in Seattle for the first month of his recovery, but once Tim was able to leave the hospital, he’d convinced them that they were free to go home. The house had been crowded with the entire Robbins family plus Callie and Alex.

Now it was just his sister tracking his recovery like a hawk and reporting back to their mother. The bones in both legs were healed but his months in bed had severely weakened his muscles. Getting it back was slow work. He could walk a little farther each day, though. And his balance was getting better too. He just had to deal with Arizona finding excuses to stop by the gym almost every day.

Today she was running. And she’d actually beaten him to the gym, greeting him with a chipper wave and a dimpled grin as he hobbled in on his crutches hours earlier.

Callie’s entrance drew both of their eyes, Tim giving her a smile as he straightened up, turning his head into the towel that was hanging over his shoulder. “Hey, doc,” he greeted her. “Give me a few more days and I’ll be ready for our dancing date.”

Callie rolled her eyes, familiar with his favorite way of teasing his sister. “I’m ready when you are.” Arizona’s treadmill beeped as she signaled it to slow down, her pace slowing to let herself cool off. “Hey, babe,” Callie called across the room, crossing her arms over her chest. “You two have been here for a while. How about you guys take showers and we’ll get some lunch?” she suggested, giving each of the Robbins siblings a smile. Her pager beeped on her hip and Arizona frowned. She’d had lighter hours since Tim was still recovering, but Callie had been working hard, the Chief eager to get more innovations out of her after the success of her titanium bones. Her next project was research to create artificial cartilage.

“Who is it?”

Callie looked up again, still smiling. “Oh, it’s Teddy. You guys don’t care if she eats with us, right?”

“Of course not,” Arizona denied. “But we’re not eating here, are we?” Her nose wrinkled in distaste at the thought of more hospital food. Callie thought it was an adorable look on her. Of course, she thought most any expression looked pretty good on Arizona’s beautiful face.

“I’m on call, so we have to stick close, but we can go out.” She looked at each of them, biting back a smile. “I’ll go change and you two just come find me after you get cleaned up. Teddy said she would meet us at Joe’s.” Turning to go, she was surprised when two hands caught her before she could reach the doors. “Arizona!”

“I missed you this morning.” Callie had been paged in before any of her housemates had woken up. Arizona stepped closer. “And you know I like when you roll your sleeves up like that,” she mused, lowering her voice for her brother’s sake.

Callie smirked, anticipating that reaction. It didn’t matter that she rolled her sleeves up the same way every day, the affect it had on Arizona was unchanged. “Well, you’re all sweaty,” she teasingly countered.

“You like it,” Arizona declared playfully, shaking her head as she moved to wrap her arms around her fiancée, Callie’s hand on her chest keeping her at a distance. There was no denying that she didn’t mind a sweaty Arizona at all, but they were going out to lunch with their friends and she’d already had a shower today.

“Meet me in the locker room after you get out of the shower,” requested Callie before Arizona could grump at her. “I’ve got something for you.”

A dimpled grin appeared on the blonde’s face. “I know you do, babe,” she agreed, not-so-secret meaning clear in her tone.

Brown eyes rolled. “Not that, Arizona.” She took a quick kiss from suddenly pouty lips. “You’ll like it, though. Trust me.”

“Fine,” her lover grumbled. “This better be a damn good lunch, though.” Even faking mad, she couldn’t resist smacking Callie’s butt as the Latina turned to leave, brown eyes giving her a flirtatious look over her shoulder and making her grin.

“Oh my God,” Tim complained from behind her as the doors swung closed behind Callie.

Arizona spun quickly, worried that her brother had fallen, that something had gone wrong. “What?! What happened?!”

He just shrugged off her concern, limping back toward his crutches. “You need to marry that girl already, sis,” he advised seriously, Arizona suddenly grateful that his back was to her since she was completely unable to hide the smile that crossed her face at the thought of their still secret engagement. “She’s as nuts about you as you are about her and she already knows that you don’t cook and you don’t clean…”

“She cooks and cleans,” Arizona pointed out cheerfully, unable to squelch the overwhelming joy that filled her every time she thought about spending the rest of her life with Calliope Torres. And not just because she cooked and cleaned.

Tim grunted as he pulled one of his crutches under his arm and leaned into the support it provided. “You don’t have to tell me why you should marry Callie, Arizona,” he said with a laugh. “I’m just wondering why she would marry you,” he teased, smirking at his little sister.

Gaping at him, Arizona glared. “Hey! I’m a catch, Tim! I would have women lining up for me! I’m hot! But just because I didn’t cook or clean when we were kids doesn’t mean that I don’t now! But I actually do cook and clean for her! And Calliope loves me.”

“So man up and propose to her, dummy,” Tim ordered, Arizona biting her lip to keep her mouth closed. She’d never kept a secret from her brother for so long before. And this was a big one. It had been a busy three months, though.

“And what if I already did?” she asked, the question slipping out before she realized it. “Propose to her, I mean,” she clarified when he turned on his unsteady legs to look at her.

His jaw was hanging open, a disbelieving smile growing on his mouth. “What?! Arizona, you proposed? What did she say? I mean, if she didn’t say yes then you two are the least awkward couple that that has ever happened to. Like, in the world! When did this happen?”

The fairer Robbins was blushing brightly as she faced her brother, shoulders bobbing as she shrugged. “Um… actually, it was the day she put the robot bones in there.” She gestured toward his leg, his eyes lingering on her.

“And you didn’t tell me?!”

“You’ve had a busy few months, Timmy,” Arizona countered. “And Mom and Dad were around all the time…”

He laughed at the realization. “Oooh! Mom’s gonna kill you!” he said, delighted. “She could have been helping you plan for months!” He couldn’t help laughing, couldn’t stop himself.

“This is not - no!” Arizona shook her head. “I just wanted, I wanted to keep her to myself for a while,” she said, earnest. “She’s like…” she paused for a breath, her eyes shining, “She’s a miracle, Tim.” His smile went soft as he observed his sister, really in love, the big love, the important one, for the first time in their lives. It lit her up even more than she was normally. “She’s my miracle and I just wanted to keep her just for me, just for a little while.”

Chuckling, he jerked his head to draw her in. “She makes you sappy. I like it,” he declared, refraining from teasing her further. “It’s sweet,” he said, dropping one crutch to wrap his arm over her shoulders and kissing her temple. “I’m happy for you, sis.” She smiled and he added, “I’m kind of shocked that you managed to hide it from me for this long, though.”

“I wasn’t trying to hide it,” Arizona sighed, leaning against his chest and wrapping both arms around her big brother. “But I’m kind of stunned I lasted this long, too,” she laughed.

“Is Callie going to be mad you finally cracked?” asked Tim, leaning his head briefly against his sister’s sweaty hair.

“No, she’s more surprised every day I haven’t told you.”

He chuckled, wrinkling his nose. “Well, awesome. But you kind of stink, and I kind of stink, and your girl’s waiting on us, and I’m hungry, so let’s get moving,” he suggested kindly. “Thanks for finally telling me.”

Arizona grinned, stepping back after she made sure his crutch was back in place. “Just make sure you’re ready to stand up with me, alright?”

“You got it,” he confirmed, matching her grin with his own. He shoved lightly at her shoulder. “Now go.”

Arizona was practically skipping as she found Callie in the attending’s locker room, her hair still damp from her shower. “I told Timothy,” she announced cheerfully as she joined her girlfriend at her locker, leaning in to drop a kiss on her cheek.

“Oh, babe, that’s great!” Callie laughed. “I guess the grin means he’s happy for us, right? I hope?”

“Of course he’s happy for us, Calliope!” said Arizona, lacing their fingers and squeezing her hand. “Everybody’s going to be happy for us!” She found her purse in her locker. “Whenever we tell everyone else.”

Callie snapped her fingers, dropping her hand to root through her own locker. “That reminds me. I’ve got something for you.” Arizona’s eyes went wide as she saw the jewelry case in Callie’s hand. Her mouth dropped open when Callie offered it to her. “Open it,” the Latina coaxed, curling her arms around herself as she watched, smile on her lips.

Arizona dimly realized that her fingers were trembling as she took the box, too big for a ring but still jewelry. “What… Calliope…”

“Come on, just open it,” Callie requested, starting to feel nervous. She wasn’t normally one for big, romantic gestures, but with Arizona, she wanted to make the effort. Because Arizona was constantly surprising her, and amazing her, and she wanted to do the same for her. “If you think it’s dumb, you don’t have to wear it. It won’t hurt my-”

Arizona surged forward to cut her off with a kiss, free hand sliding across the back of Callie’s neck to hold her into the embrace. “Calliope, anything you give me, I’m going to love,” she promised, slipping her thumbnail into the crease and flipping the box open. The sight of what she found inside made her smile grow, a laugh bursting free completely beyond her control. It was just unreal. A gold chain held an artfully lopsided gold heart pendant. It was beautiful, but Arizona couldn’t help laughing.

Callie frowned, trying to keep her shoulders from slumping. She’d hoped Arizona would like the necklace but she really hadn’t expected her gift to get laughed at. “If you don’t like it…” she started, struggling to keep the disappointment from her tone. If this was how part one of her present was received, she was going to need to seriously reevaluate part two…

Realizing her mistake, Arizona was quick to hush her with another kiss. “Calliope Torres, I love it,” she said earnestly. “It’s beautiful and I completely love it!”

Still frowning, the brunette sighed. “Then why are you still laughing?” she questioned, brows furrowing.

Arizona just kissed her again, sucking lightly on her bottom lip. “Mmh, babe, with these lips, you pouting is going to work every single time,” she confessed, words scattered between sucking kisses.

It got a smile. “Good to know. But Arizona, if you don’t like the necklace…” One hand reached to take the box back from her but Arizona snatched it away.

“You’re not taking my necklace back!” she denied, hiding it behind her back. “I love it, Calliope!”

“Then why did you laugh at it?!” questioned Callie, frustrated by the conflicting reactions from her fiancée. At the reminder, the blonde started laughing again. Callie grabbed for the box again, but Arizona held it away from her. “Arizona!”

“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to laugh, really,” Arizona apologized even as she kept giggling. “Do you forgive me?” she requested, pecking kisses to Callie’s lips lightly. “Please?”

Callie leaned away from her, still hurt. “Are you going to tell me why you’re still laughing?”

Dutifully, Arizona attempted to stop giggling. “Will you put my necklace on for me first?”

“Not yet,” Callie denied her. “It might be going back…”

“No, it is not, Calliope!” Arizona countered, stuffing the box down the front of her shirt in an attempt to hide it.

Callie just scoffed, eyes rolling. “Because I won’t reach down there?” she challenged. “I’m very familiar with what belongs in your bra, Arizona. I think I can find it.”

“You’re not taking my necklace back!” yelped the blonde. “Just let me explain, okay? You’ll laugh too, I promise!” Callie’s expression didn’t change and Arizona stepped backward slowly. “Well, I hope you’ll laugh, babe. Just trust me, okay?” Turning, she searched through her own locker rapidly, offering Callie the results of her search - a jewelry case that was identical to the one currently hiding in her shirt. “Open it,” she requested happily.

Callie’s frown smoothed away as she opened the box, gasping as she found a necklace inside that was the silver twin of the one she’d just given Arizona. “Oh…”

“Right, oh,” Arizona mocked lightly, fishing her own jewelry case out of her shirt. “We got each other the same necklaces. Of course, I was trying to keep yours for your birthday, but that’s spoiled now,” she teased, smiling as Callie’s eyes found hers. “Am I forgiven?”

Callie nodded eagerly, quickly kissing her. “Of course!”

“Will you please put my necklace on now?” Arizona requested, smiling patiently as she took the silver necklace from Callie and latched it around her neck, watching as the pendant settled right at the top of her cleavage. It looked just as perfect as she thought it would. And, clearly, they both had good taste.

“Nope,” Callie answered, cheerful now that she’d been reassured.

It took a second for the denial to sink in and Arizona’s face slacked. “Wait, what, why?!” she protested. “Would I have gotten you the same necklace if I didn’t like it, Calliope?!”

“I’m going to give it to you, Arizona,” the brunette promised quickly. “Just…” This was the big one. “I have something else for you. It could go on the chain…”

Blue eyes blinked in clear surprise. “What? You got me something else? Did I miss our anniversary or something?”

Callie swallowed hard, one hand fidgeting with her new necklace while the other pulled another jewelry case from the pocket of her leather jacket. This one was smaller and Arizona didn’t realize that she was holding her breath until the burning need for air made her gasp. “I didn’t figure you’d wear it on your finger until after we told people, but I wanted you to have it, and…” She paused as Arizona ripped the box open as she realized what it contained. “Do you like it?” she asked hesitantly.

The band was simple, white gold instead of yellow like the necklace, with progressively smaller diamonds radiating down the band on either side of the central stone. It was reflected in blue eyes as Arizona looked up from the ring. “Calliope…”

“I don’t know if you want to wear engagement rings at all,” Callie started to explain, but Arizona cut her off.

“I absolutely want to wear your ring, Calliope!”

Laughing, Callie opened the chain of Arizona’s necklace. “Well, you don’t have to wear it yet if you want to wait to tell people we’re engaged. I know you just told your brother, so I get it if you want to talk to your parents before we tell Teddy or Alex or Bailey.” She offered the necklace, but Arizona was hesitant to hand over her ring.

“Can I wear it just for a second?” she asked, rolling it lightly between her thumb and forefinger, sending the spots of reflected light dancing across her face.

“Of course you can, Arizona. It’s your ring,” Callie reminded her with a laugh. She was clearly surprised when the blonde promptly handed it to her. “You want me to put it on for you?” She was touched by the unexpected gesture. She wanted nothing more than to put a ring on Arizona’s finger and know that it would be there for the rest of their lives. “Okay.”

Arizona stepped closer to her, both of them watching their hands in between them, Callie’s fingers singling out Arizona’s left ring finger. It slid smoothly into place, perfectly sized. “It’s beautiful,” Arizona whispered. “Thank you.”

“Hey, we’re engaged. You should have an engagement ring.”

“Well, I should have known better than trying to plan an occasion to give you your ring. It seems like nothing at all about our engagement is going to be planned, so your ring is at home,” Arizona said, still admiring the ring on her finger. “And I’m not taking this off,” she declared suddenly. “I’m engaged, this is my ring, I’m not wearing it on my necklace.”

Callie’s warm voice was amused. “Okay,” she agreed softly, slipping the necklace under Arizona’s ducked chin and clasping it behind her neck, chain resting over her hair. “How’s that?”

Arizona looked down to catch a glimpse of the gold charm against her chest, smiling as she looked back up to find Callie’s gaze. “It’s awesome, Calliope.” She abruptly giggled, giddy and eager. “Come on, let’s go tell everybody we’re getting married.”

Callie arched an amused eyebrow at her. “Everybody?”

“Well, at least Teddy! She’s eating lunch with us so it’s not even going out of the way to find her!” Arizona reasoned, pulling Callie along by the hand toward the elevator. It was only as the doors started to slide closed in front of them that she realized she hadn’t properly kissed her fiancée since she’d put a ring on her finger. “I can’t believe I almost forgot that!”

Confused, the brunette frowned. “What did you forget?” She knew they had their phones, she could hear Arizona’s buzzing in her pocket, and her keys were in her purse. “Do we need to-”

Words were cut off by Arizona’s lips on hers, fingers winding into her hair. “This,” the blonde whispered before the next slow kiss. “I almost forgot this.”

Humming lightly into the languid, slow kisses, Callie couldn’t help smiling against her lover’s lips. “Mmh, yeah, that would have been bad. Very bad.”

The chime of the elevator separated them, Arizona clearly pleased and proud of the dazed, hazy expression on Callie’s face. She loved that she could have this affect on Callie, such a beautiful, amazing woman herself, and she could make her completely lose her mind. It was intoxicating, having that kind of connection with someone. And Callie had the exact same affect on her.

“I wish we had time to go home and get your ring,” the blonde mused as they exited the elevator and crossed the lobby.

“Well, we would if I still lived across the street,” Callie reminded her with a grin.

Arizona shook her head in immediate denial. “No, I don’t like that.”

“I can wait,” said Callie easily. “And we’ve made Tim and Teddy wait long enough on us, anyway.”

They crossed the street, the air heavy and damp, the scent of rain on the breeze. They’d be lucky to get back after lunch without getting rained on. Arizona gallantly held the door to Joe’s for Callie, grinning as the Latina rolled her eyes. And then she ran smack into her fiancée’s back as Callie froze right inside.

“What-?” She edged around her frozen girlfriend. “What the hell?!”

Tim just smiled at his sister, Teddy blushing brightly and wiping her mouth as she stared at the pair. “Hey guys,” he greeted them cheerfully.

“Wha-why-I-okay, we’re getting married, but that clearly isn’t the surprise of the day,” Arizona said, stammering as she tried to think clearly. Because she was pretty sure she’d just seen her brother kissing her best friend, but that couldn’t be right, could it? Because that was crazy. They’d started eating lunch in Tim’s room while he was in the hospital, and she knew Teddy spent a lot of time at their house, but…

“Wait, you’re getting married?!” Teddy demanded, shooting up from her seat.

Callie just laughed, one hand on her shoulder forcing Arizona gently into a seat at the table. “Clearly, we have a lot to talk about.”


	7. Chapter 7

Arizona grumbled and pulled the other pillow over her head, engulfing herself in Callie’s scent on the cover as her fiancée passed the bed again, swatting her butt. “Calliope, why?”

“Because you’re going to want to come,” Callie said, voice entirely too cheerful for that time of the morning. It wasn’t actually early, but it was their day off, their first joint day off in weeks and Arizona could admit that her personal judgment of what was ‘early’ was on a sliding scale on their days off.

Groaning and holding the pillow tighter against her head, the blonde flopped onto her stomach. “I really think I’d rather stay here,” she argued sullenly. “It’s warm in here! And it’s raining outside!”

Callie glanced out the window, not surprised to see rain drops on the glass. “How could you know that? You haven’t even gotten out of bed and your head is under a pillow!”

“I just know it,” Arizona said, the arm that wasn’t holding the pillow to her head searching blindly for the covers that weren’t on her already. If Callie wasn’t going to use them, she might as well be extra warm if she couldn’t coax her fiancée back into bed to do it for her. “I’m that good, Calliope. Come back to bed and I’ll remind you…”

Abruptly, the bed shifted and Callie’s knees were on either side of her hips, the weight of her settling on the blonde’s butt. Holy shit, that worked?! Callie leaned forward, her chest pressing lightly against the prone woman’s back. Strong hands pulled the pillow out of her way and Arizona reached back with her now free hand to tangle her fingers in long waves of dark hair. 

“Arizona…” Callie’s warm, sexy voice against her ear sent a tremor through Arizona’s body, heat rushing in to settle low in her stomach. Full lips dragged across her skin, puckering up to kiss behind her ear. “I guess I just have to leave you here while I go shop for a new car, then,” she whispered, sliding off of her partner and sitting down on the side of the bed to pull on her shoes.

Since Arizona’s accident nine months before they’d been sharing her Jeep, but Callie was hoping shopping for a replacement car would be something kind of fun they could do together. Mostly she figured that Arizona would be a decent haggler and she knew her partner had a thing for cars.

And sure enough, a mussed blonde head lifted from the pillows, already grumbling. “That’s not fair, Calliope!” Arizona complained as she turned over and sat up. “I just want to stay in bed, but you’re trying to tempt me out of it with pretty, pretty cars, and you in a pretty, pretty car…” 

Callie just shrugged, leaning over to lace her sneakers. “You don’t have to come, sweetheart. I can just surprise you with whatever I get when I get home.”

Still complaining, the normally perky doctor rolled out of bed and shuffled toward the bathroom. “No, give me twenty minutes.” She paused in the bathroom door and added over her shoulder, “And we’re at least test driving a Mustang!”

That was a mental image Callie couldn’t deny and she agreed hoarsely, “Sure thing, babe.” Leaving grumpy Arizona to her shower, she left the bedroom and went downstairs. It wasn’t early, but she was still surprised to find Teddy in the kitchen. It grew less surprising as she noticed her friend’s outfit. Clearing her throat made the heart surgeon jump like she’d been shocked.

“Callie! Jeez, you scared the shit out of me!”

The brunette just smirked, joining her friend at the coffeemaker. “You know, if you’re trying to keep Arizona from finding out that you’re sleeping here in her brother’s bed, maybe pants would be good,” she advised, enjoying herself immensely.

Teddy’s eyes went impossibly wider. “She doesn’t know already?” She and Tim had been casually seeing each other for a while even before Arizona had seen them kissing at Joe’s, but since then the blonde had been blissfully ignorant about any steps forward in her brother’s relationship with her best friend. Finding her in the kitchen in one of Tim’s t-shirts and a pair of panties was probably not how they wanted to break the news to her.

“Not that I know of,” Callie informed her, shrugging. “I figure I would have heard something about it if she knew, though,” she reasoned.

“Seriously,” mused Teddy, glancing down at herself and quickly putting her coffee mug down on the counter. “Shit, I need pants!” She bolted without a backward glance, leaving Callie sipping her coffee with an amused smile.

The shower had helped turn Arizona’s mood around and she was smiling as she joined Callie in the kitchen. Her smile grew further when she was presented with a stack of pancakes and a kiss. “At least you make it worth getting out of bed,” she commented cheerfully as she took her plate back to the table. She speared her first bite eagerly. “So, what kind of car are we looking for?”

“We?” Callie questioned jokingly over her shoulder. “Is something wrong with your Jeep?”

“We’re getting married,” Arizona answered the teasing. “What’s yours is mine, baby. And you dragged me out of bed for this! I’m getting a say!”

Teddy’s return to the kitchen, complete with a long peek around the banister to make sure Arizona wasn’t going to see her, and opening and closing the front door to complete the ruse that she’d just arrived, was greeted by a smirk from Callie and a friendly smile from Arizona.

“Good morning, Teddy,” Callie said, voice overly cheerful. “Want some pancakes?”

“I do!” Tim called loudly from the stairwell, speaking over any answer Teddy might have made. “Me, me, me!”

Callie rolled her eyes fondly and sent her fiancée a look. “No surprise you two are related.” Raising her voice, she answered him, “You got it!”

Arizona shot a look back at her, hand that wasn’t shoveling pancakes into her mouth reaching out to pinch Callie’s ass. “You’re the one marrying me.”

“She could marry me instead,” Tim suggested as he swung into the room on his crutches, getting simultaneous glares from Arizona and Teddy in response.

Callie just laughed. “Sorry, brother.” She slid another short stack of pancakes onto a plate and served them. She pecked his cheek lightly and winked across the table at Arizona. “We both know that’s not going to happen.”

“I know you’re doing better on your robot leg, but I will knock you off of it,” Arizona informed him sweetly, emphasizing her warning with a forkful of breakfast poking in his direction. “And your new sister will have to fix it for you.”

He just glared narrowly at her as Callie laughed. “You had to go right to that, didn’t you?”

Teddy hid a snort behind a hand, Arizona proudly smirking at her brother. “She’s going to be your sister, Tim. Get used to it.” She was already impatient for it to happen, now that her brother was out of the woods and everything felt stable, marrying Callie was becoming all she could think about. And it wasn’t even the wedding - at least not the ceremony itself - she wanted the marriage part. She wanted to be Calliope Torres’ wife. She wanted to know that she was going to bed beside her every night and waking up next her every morning. She wanted to introduce Callie to someone and say the word. “She’s going to be my wife,” she breathed, smile softening as she looked across the kitchen at Callie.

Tim was genuinely happy for his sister, happy for them both, but it didn’t stop him from gagging jokingly. “I’m trying to eat here!”

“Dude, he’s right!” Alex agreed as he joined the group at the table, leaning over to steal pancakes of his own. “Between the four of you, there’s way too much mushy stuff going on around here lately.” Tim and Teddy’s eyes went wide in a second, looking at each other and then glaring at Alex while Callie looked at Arizona for a reaction. “And, dude,” Karev added, bumping Tim with an elbow as he reached over him for the carton of orange juice, “you’ve got no room to rag on them for being sickening. The stuff I hear…”

“Shut it, Karev,” Teddy ordered sharply. Arizona looked up at her friend’s tone, chewing a fresh bite of her pancakes. “Arizona…”

“Sis…”

Swallowing her bite, Arizona gave them both an amused look, catching Alex’s matching smile behind her brother’s back. “What? You guys think I don’t know?” she questioned, chuckling. “Please…” She didn’t appeared fussed in the slightest, sipping on her juice then holding her cup out for Alex to refill. “Teddy, you’re louder than I would have thought. If I thought about you doing that, which I don’t.”

Callie laughed, Tim shaking his head at his sister while she just cut another bite. “So, what? You’ve known this whole time?”

Arizona nodded, surprised he’d thought otherwise. “Um, yes?”

“And you don’t care?” Teddy asked, confused.

“Um, no?” Arizona tried, not sure what she was expected to say. Instead she laughed. “Guys, I’m happy,” she said simply, dimpled smile firmly in place. “I’m getting married to the best girl in the world.” Callie grinned, leaning back against the kitchen counter with her arms curled around herself. “So, for you, two people that I love, I just want you two to be even half as happy as we are.” She shrugged, giving them each a smile. “So, if you’re happy with each other, then I’m happy for you,” she declared, clear affection in her voice drawing Callie to her, the Ortho surgeon wrapping her arms around her shoulders.

There was a moment of quiet, the other couple considering that. “Wow,” Teddy finally said, still appearing a bit stunned.

“What?” Arizona asked with a laugh. “Do you want me to do the speech or something? Break his heart, I’ll break your legs?” She smirked, warming up to her subject. “Or you,” she shifted her gaze to her brother, “Hurt her and I’ll use your robot leg to drag you behind my car with a big magnet?”

Tim was clearly startled by his sister’s creativity in planning his punishment. His throat bobbed when he swallowed and one hand tousled his hair, longer since he’d been in Seattle. “Callie, can she…?”

“You leg is not magnetic,” she assured him, rolling her eyes. “That’s a pretty inventive punishment, though, baby.”

“Teddy’s my best friend,” Arizona justified, smiling. She really looked much too sweet and friendly to be saying stuff like that. “But I don’t have a big magnet anyway.”

Callie shook her head, catching Karev’s smirk in the corner of her eye as he used the conversational distraction to eat the last of the bacon from the platter. “Okay, how about this? Whatever happens, Arizona’s neutral?” she suggested. “She loves you both, it’s not fair to put her in the middle of anything.”

Teddy and Timothy exchanged looks, both nodding quickly. “Oh, yeah, of course!”

“And that includes any sex stories!” Arizona added, slapping one hand to the table to make sure she had everyone’s attention. “I do not need or want to know anything!”

“Thank God,” Alex agreed under his breath. “We all know way too much about each other living in this house!” he threw in his two cents.

“You don’t have to live here, Karev,” Arizona shot back teasingly. She would never kick Alex out. Unless, of course, he breathed wrong around Callie. The first sign he was making a move for Callie, that boy was going to be out on his ass.

“You ready to go, babe?” Callie checked, cutting in to keep the pair from arguing the way they were both so secretly fond of doing with each other.

Leaning her head back into her lover’s shoulder, Arizona smiled. “Did you get breakfast, too?”

Callie laughed as she answered, lips pecking nibbling kisses down the blonde’s neck. “Sure did.”

“Let’s go find some new wheels, then!” Arizona was cheerful and chipper now that she’d had breakfast (and possibly the neck kisses had had something to do with it as well) and she hopped to her feet and laced her fingers through Callie’s.

Tim let out a surprised whistle, impressed. “You’re taking her to shop for cars with you?”

“Yeah.” Callie shrugged easily, smiling fondly at her fiancée. “She insists on driving my car anyway. Might as well get something else we both like.”

“Ooh, can we get another classic?” Arizona eagerly asked, hopping on her toes in her excitement.

Callie’s smile grew into a grin. “We can look at whatever you want. I called a few places that do restorations so we can see what’s out there.”

“Yay!” Arizona cheered enthusiastically, pulling Callie toward the door with her.

“Good luck, Callie!” Tim called after them.

The first car lot they stopped at didn’t have much that interested them, but Arizona was practically drooling over a 1967 Mustang fastback at the second place. She could imagine driving it, but even better was the mental image of Callie behind the wheel. “I know it’s completely impractical, but can we at least drive it?” she requested eagerly, bouncing on her toes.

“Yeah, sure.” Callie chuckled, amused. “It’s not like the T-bird was extremely practical either, babe.” She slung an arm around Arizona’s shoulders to pull her in and plant a kiss against the side of her head. “It kept you alive though, I guess that’s all I could ask for.”

Arizona abruptly sighed, wistful. “I miss the T-bird.”

“I know you do, sweetheart. I’m sorry.” As she’d thought, the loss of her classic Thunderbird continued to upset Arizona more than it had ever upset her. Of course, she was still just happy that the accident hadn’t ended up worse than it had. She could lose a car, but not Arizona.

“I guess Mustangs are pretty cool, though,” acknowledged the blonde, perking back up.

Callie gallantly opened the door for her fiancée, smirking. “Well, it’s not like we’re going to need to put car seats in the back anytime soon. We could go for impractical again if you really like it,” Callie reasoned, missing Arizona’s suddenly ungraceful flop into the seat.

“Car seats?” she questioned with a frown, stuck on that comment. “Like for babies?”

Callie laughed, nodding. “Yeah, of course for babies.” She thought nothing of the suddenly slack expression on her partner’s face, Arizona shaking it off by the time Callie was sliding into the passenger seat. There was a sudden cold knot in her chest though. Was it really possible that they’d gotten this far without discussing such a basic, fundamental life decision like having children?

Abruptly it felt like her stomach was trying to claw its way out of her body. Damn it.


	8. Chapter 8

Tim Robbins couldn’t have been more surprised when his bedroom door, well really his sister’s guest bedroom door, burst open, Arizona storming in with her hand protectively covering her eyes. “Tim? Teddy?”

“Um, she’s at work,” Tim answered her, confused. “What’s wrong?” She dropped her hand and he put his video game to the side as he saw her expression, eyes wild and panicked. “What happened? Is Callie okay?”

“She’s perfect,” Arizona gasped out, pushing the door closed behind her and starting to pace.

“Then what the hell is wrong with you? You look like someone just slapped you,” he said, shifting to sit on the edge of the bed.

“She’s perfect,” repeated the blonde, only stopping when her brother took her wrist and pulled her to sit beside him.

“Now, I love Callie, but no one is perfect, Arizona. Just breathe and talk to me,” he requested patiently. “What is Callie’s apparently huge flaw that you just found out about four months into being engaged?”

Arizona closed her eyes and took a deliberate deep breath. It wasn’t that Callie had a flaw, they just had different things that they wanted from life. And apparently one of the things Callie wanted was a baby. The problem with that was that Arizona had never wanted one. As a matter of fact, she’d been pretty adamant about never having a baby. But somehow it had never come up before. So Callie’s offhand comment about car seats had hit her like a punch to the chest.

“Come on, sis - how bad could it be?”

Bad, her mind filled in the answer. “She wants kids, Tim.”

He was very familiar with his sister’s determination to never have children, but he (or their mother) had never understood it. “Okay, well, you guys’ll have cute kids,” he said, knowing that it would get Arizona’s eyes opened. And glaring at him.

“Tim! This isn’t funny!”

“Arizona, have you even talked to her about this?” She just narrowed her eyes at him further and Tim shook his head. “Maybe you can get her to understand your ‘no kids’ thing.”

Arizona’s blue eyes rolled. She knew her family didn’t understand her aversion to having kids. “Knock up Teddy and I’ll simultaneously kill you and be grateful you got Mom off my back about grandkids,” she shot back sharply, her temper already frayed. That particular wheedling had come more and more often from her mother since her parents had met Callie, but she’d dismissed it every time, just like always.

He laughed shortly, watching his sister’s expression closely. “I know you don’t want kids, but have you even thought about doing it with Callie?” Arizona’s lip twitched. “I know you, Arizona. You’ve never felt for anyone the way you do about her. I mean, you’ve never wanted to marry anyone either.”

She sighed, shoulders slumping. “Tim…”

“If she really wants this, are you willing to lose her over it?”

He cut to the heart of the dilemma with a single question. Was this something she could let go of, or could she let Callie go? The thought was stifling. She could almost feel her heart stop. Life without Callie… it was unthinkable. Oh God. But a baby, a squalling, screaming, smelly little baby, one that could end up in her Peds ward…

“Don’t do this to yourself,” Tim advised, interrupting her heartrending musings. “Don’t do this to Callie either. Talk to her.” Arizona swallowed hard, nodding her head as she struggled to control her sudden anxiety. Her feet were unsteady as she stood up. “But, sis,” he called her back as she reached for the doorknob, “if you don’t even try to find a way through this, if you lose her because you’re scared of something that you would absolutely be amazing at, you’re going to regret it every day for the rest of your life.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Arizona asked, looking over her shoulder at him. “Tim, I love her. I love everything about her.”

“Then think about this,” Tim suggested. “Think about her coming into the Peds floor with a baby - her baby. Dark brown eyes and that black hair, Callie’s face and everything. Think about how much that would hurt you.” Seeing Callie like that, her child hurt, would destroy her. “But it’s not your baby. She’s not your wife, maybe you aren’t even friends anymore. You’re just her baby’s doctor.” His face was sympathetic but serious. “Can you live with that? Because that’s your best case scenario if you let this break you two up.”

Arizona sighed, shaking her head. “Tim, don’t you think I’d do anything to stay with Callie? I love her! I just don’t know - kids isn’t something I’ve ever wanted. You know that.”

“Just don’t let her get away without fighting for her,” advised Tim seriously. “Even if you’re fighting yourself, okay?”

She wanted to argue with him, but she knew that he was right. If Callie seriously wanted children, she had a lot of arguing with herself to do. She couldn’t be the one who kept Callie from having what she really wanted, but could she really make herself walk away from the love of her life, her future?

Callie was straightening up in the kitchen when Arizona came down the stairs, the brunette crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against the counter when she turned to face her fiancée. “Are you going to talk to me now?” she asked, simultaneously frustrated and concerned.

Arizona just looked guilty. “You know?”

“I know something’s bothering you,” Callie said. “You covered pretty well, but you barely said anything after we left that second lot. And we got home and you ran straight upstairs to talk to Tim and Teddy.”

“Just Tim. Teddy’s at work,” Arizona corrected her sheepishly.

Callie asked, “Well, are you going to tell me what’s going on?” She sighed. “I mean, I had to have said something, right? What did I say?” Arizona just took a deep breath. “Arizona, please talk to me,” she pleaded.

She could feel Callie’s eyes on her, the brown gaze that was capable of swallowing her whole. “Calliope…”

“Please don’t ‘Calliope’ me,” requested Callie tiredly. “Just talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.” Still Arizona hesitated. “Are you breaking up with me?”

It broke her heart to even ask the question, but it got Arizona’s head up, blue eyes wide. “No!” Taking a breath, she continued, feeling it shred her heart as well, “I don’t want to, at least.”

Callie closed her eyes, unconsciously unfolding her arms to hold onto the countertop. She couldn’t stay standing otherwise. Her life was ending and she didn’t even know why.

“I don’t want kids, Calliope,” Arizona said, voice soft and clearly hesitant. “I never have.” Callie didn’t look up. “And you said car seats earlier…”

“I do want kids,” Callie confirmed in a whisper. “That’s what this is about?” She sounded exasperated and Arizona blinked, surprised.

“You don’t think that’s significant?” the blonde asked, her own frustration with the situation they found themselves in showing in her tone.

Callie’s arms were crossed again. “Okay, it’s significant, but I’m not losing you over it, Arizona, so we’ll work it out!” Despite her comforting, confident sounding words, her voice was short and sharp.

“Work it out?!” Arizona demanded, her own volume rising. “How can we possibly work this out?!”

“Do you want me to leave? Are we done?” countered Callie, her chest feeling tight. Before Arizona could answer, the pager on the counter behind them went off, buzzing and beeping. Callie retrieved it with a growl of frustration. “It’s a 911. I’ve got to go.” Without speaking further, she left the kitchen, Arizona left confused, frustrated, and scared behind her.

Coming home hours later, Callie was braced for a fight, had been preparing herself mentally all afternoon for a knock down, drag out, screaming match. Because she wasn’t going to let Arizona walk away from her, from them. And she wanted kids, but the thought of doing it with someone else, raising children, being a family with someone who wasn’t Arizona… it made her chest ache.

Nearly midnight, the house was dark, the driveway empty. It hurt to think that Arizona had left instead of staying to talk to her, and she walked up to the door feeling heavy. Opening the door revealed a quiet darkness and she bypassed the living room and kitchen and went straight upstairs, not noticing the lamplight in her own bedroom until she was already there.

Arizona was on her back in the bed and dressed for sleep, her arms crossed over her eyes, but her breathing was steady. Unsure if she was asleep (or if she even wanted to wake her up if she was), Callie dropped her bag silently to the carpet and toed off her shoes just inside the door. Normally she would be the first to put them away, but she left them where they were and moved as quietly as she could around the bed and toward the sanctuary of the bathroom.

Closing the door behind her, Callie let out a deep breath, not sure how she felt about anything anymore. Arizona was still here, hadn’t run from her, from their home, from the life they were building together. But now, with this hanging over them, where the hell were they going? What were they moving towards? And how the hell could they seriously consider staying together if it would only lead to a life of resentment and unfulfilled longing?

Because she wanted to have a baby. It had always been something she’d wanted, something she’d planned on. And she desperately wanted Arizona in that plan. She wanted the life she’d been imagining for them long before they’d ever said the word marriage. She wanted forever with Arizona, and she wanted their children. That wasn’t wrong. Actually, them together with their children was the most right thing she could imagine. 

But Arizona didn’t share than vision, apparently. And she didn’t know how to fix it, make it okay. Because, unfortunately, neither one of them was wrong. It didn’t make sense to her personally, but not wanting children was a perfectly valid decision. And Arizona wasn’t some trauma case - she was a rational, responsible, grown woman. And this wouldn’t be something she’d just decided arbitrarily.

They just had to figure out how to deal with their mutual desires without it destroying their relationship, which was not an easy thing and seemed likely to be easier said than done.

Flipping on the water in the shower, Callie let it warm up as she slipped out of her clothes, leaving them all where they fell without bothering to toss them into the laundry. The first blast of hot water was refreshing and she bowed her head into it, one hand adjusting the temperature gradually. There was no doubt in her mind that Arizona Robbins would be an amazing mother. And she wanted to see that. But Arizona had to want it too or it was meaningless. She couldn’t force her partner to have a baby.

So the question became whether the possibility of never having children was going to lead her to resent Arizona five or ten years down the road, or if she could genuinely give up that dream and have a happy, wonderful, amazing life with the woman she loved.

Further musing was interrupted by the bathroom door opening, Arizona leaving it open behind her as she slipped into the room. She looked dwarfed in oversized (and obviously borrowed from one of the boys) sweats that were practically hanging off of her hips, a sliver of her stomach visible where the pants had dropped. Their eyes met through the water speckled glass of the shower wall but neither spoke for a long moment.

Blue eyes were pained, worried, and scared, and it broke Callie’s heart, making her ache to fix it. But she didn’t know how. Because she couldn’t promise the rest of her life to Arizona if she was only going to resent her for it later. That wasn’t fair to either of them. But giving up what she wanted wasn’t going to be easy either. Arizona was the love of her life, of that she had no doubt, but nothing about this situation was easy. There was no quick fix here.

“Arizona…” Callie sighed, the soft sound of her name snapping the other woman into motion. Her top was over her head in a second, the baggy pants discarded at the same time and then she was in Callie’s arms, driving her back against the cool tile wall and kissing her before she could say anything more. More words could spell their doom and she wasn’t ready for that. She wasn’t ever going to be ready for that.

Wet hands in her dry hair made it catch and pull but Arizona didn’t let her mouth be dragged away, her own hands sliding across a slick cheek and down a smooth neck. “Don’t,” she pleaded into a necessary gap for breath, lips closed around Callie’s bottom lip before she could speak. 

Neither one of them were quite sure what she was pleading for, but Callie wasn’t going to stop what was happening to question her. This was not going to be their last time like this. She wouldn’t let it. But if Arizona needed something from her right now, she would give it to her absolutely. There was no one else she could imagine a life with, with kids or without, and she didn’t even want to try picturing it. Was it better to have kids with someone else, settle for someone she loved less, and spend her life pining for the woman she’d let get away? Or was having a life with Arizona but without children going to be enough?

There wasn’t an answer that she could find beyond that she was not going to lose Arizona without a hell of a fight.

Desperate kisses drew her back from her thoughts again, Arizona nipping hard at her lip. It was enough to make her jump, a moan tearing from her chest when a hot, slick tongue soothed the bite. Suddenly a little desperate herself, Callie let her body rock down on the thigh that had squirmed in between her legs. Arizona’s hand slid between them before she could do it again, fingers finding their place without faltering, the blonde backing the next thrust with her entire body, free hand bunching black hair tightly.

Tearing her lips away for a needy breath, Callie was left gasping as Arizona drove her up without a pause, the water beating hot and hard against them. Her lover didn’t relent, curling her fingers as she pushed in deep. Callie couldn’t do more than bury her face in Arizona’s shoulder and hang on, both hands gripping her shoulder and her side as she moaned and rode the thrusts the blonde was giving her. Licking the water from her neck, Callie sucked on a mouthful of pale skin, the steady jerking thrusts ensuring that she was going to leave a mark. She couldn’t be bothered to stop though. At this moment, marking Arizona was something she wanted.

“Callie, please,” Arizona groaned into her ear, voice husky and low.

Lifting her head to see her eyes, Callie felt her peak coming fast and hard. “Arizona…” The gasping moan of her name was all the warning she could muster and Arizona didn’t stop anyway, driving her up and over and swallowing her moans and breathless cries in her own mouth.

Callie didn’t give herself a moment to come down, spinning them along the wall as soon as Arizona pulled out, her own hands hiking one pale leg around her hip while two fingers of her other hand drove home. Their kiss broke as Arizona’s moan tore itself free, her body going tight around her. “Oh, oh fuck,” she gasped, eyes squeezed tightly closed. “Callie, please,” she pleaded again.

It resulted in Callie freezing, going motionless immediately. Arizona moaned her protest, surprised to feel soft, gentle pecks to her neck, her jaw in the midst of what had been a rather forceful encounter so far. “Open your eyes,” Callie requested, her voice hoarse and breathless but soft. “Look at me, Arizona. Let me see you.” What she really wanted was for Arizona to see her, see how fully invested she was in this, in them, how completely it would destroy her to lose her.

Blue eyes were dark when they struggled open, eyelids fluttered as Callie started moving again, her body moving into the blonde’s and practically lifting her off of her one balancing foot with each push inside her. She wasn’t afraid to fall though. Callie wouldn’t drop her. She just wished she believed that statement could be applied at this moment to parts of their life that weren’t sex. Because she couldn’t be the one that kept Callie from having a kid. But she wasn’t cut out to be a mother. That had never been a desire she’d had, whatever that said about her.

“Arizona, look at me,” Callie repeated when her lover’s gaze went hazy, unfocused, and she leaned in to lick the mark she’d left on her neck. It was definitely going to bruise but she couldn’t find regret or remorse about that. She wanted her mark on Arizona’s skin, as possessive as it sounded in her head. “I love you,” she whispered into her flesh, dragging her nose against her neck to suck on her earlobe, breathing hard into her ear. “I love everything about you.”

It was the same thing she’d said earlier about Callie to Tim and it was enough to send her over the edge. The blonde head rocked against Callie’s own, Arizona crashing headfirst into oblivion, her body spontaneously tightening and relaxing around her in waves. Callie brought her back down gently with soft touches and even softer words, steadying her on her wobbly legs when she finally set her down. They caught their breath together but didn’t speak, Arizona looking away only after a long silence, sticking her face in the cooling water and pushing her wet hair back with both hands.

Callie could only watch her leave the shower stall in silence, not sure what that was supposed to mean for them, whether it was a spontaneous round of shower sex, or some attempt to say an impossible goodbye.

She wasn’t sure what anything meant anymore.


	9. Chapter 9

The next few days were filled with awkward, tense silence between the two women. Tim, Alex, and Teddy noticed, of course, though when they were in a group, or in public at the hospital, everything seemed the same as it had always been. But it wasn’t. There were subtle differences - kisses less frequent and shorter, even in private, conversation focused just on work and cases (and the occasional strange tangent about food). But they both knew that their friends could see it, even if they couldn’t bring themselves to talk about it any more.

But Callie wasn’t surprised when Tim slung an arm over her shoulder as they walked into the hospital, him to his physical therapy workout and her to her latest twenty hour shift. “You’re not going to let her get away over this, are you?” he questioned, going straight to the issue without bullshitting.

“I don’t want to,” Callie said, staying with him. He was steadier on his feet, more solid, but he still had a limp, stiffness in his left leg that he was working to get rid of. “But I can’t force her to have a baby.”

“I know she’s stubborn, Callie, but she loves you. Don’t give up on working this out with her.”

Callie opened the PT wing’s door for them and sighed as Tim stuffed his duffle bag into one of the lockers just inside. “I just don’t get it. I know she’s in Peds and sees all these scared parents, but does she really not see how incredible she would be with a kid? How can she not see it?!”

Tim shook his head, stretching his arms up over his head and standing on his toes. “I don’t get it either, Cal. It’s not like we had a traumatic childhood or anything. She was always a happy little kid, you know? And she’s awesome with her patients!”

“I know!”

He gave her a sympathetic look. “You’re not the only one it confuses. It’s been driving Mom crazy for years. She wants grandkids but all Arizona has said since we were teenagers is that she doesn’t want kids.”

“What the hell?” Callie grumbled, sitting down on the bench in front of the lockers, unable to help watching him stretch. Strictly in a professional way, of course. He’d come a long way in an amazingly short amount of time. And he was good looking, charming, and in great shape, but she was completely in love with his sister. Even if they hadn’t actually spoken that day.

“Could you give it up? Wanting kids, I mean. To stay with her, could you live without a baby?” Tim asked curiously.

“I want a baby,” Callie said slowly, considering. “But, honestly, I don’t know if I could imagine doing it without her.” She’d been going back and forth, arguing with herself for days. Grumbling, she laid back on the bench to glare at the ceiling while Tim started his workout. “I don’t want to do anything without her.”

“She’s the same way about you, Callie,” Tim offered reassuringly, sitting down on the machine across the room and adjusting the weight limits. “You know, she works on kids all the time, knows exactly what can go wrong and has to watch it happen right in front of her. All those kids she can’t save, it messes with her head.”

Callie groaned, empathetic but still confused. “I understand that, really, I do, but not every kid has traumatic illnesses. And she’s the best pediatric surgeon in the hemisphere!”

He started his first set with a grunt. “But don’t you guys have rules like she couldn’t help save her own kid?”

“Yes, but just because we have a kid doesn’t mean that it’s going to need saving,” Callie countered, groaning again. It really was an impossible situation. And if they wanted to make it, one of them was going to have to compromise. “It’s not like I want a baby tomorrow,” she pointed out. “I mean, she could come around. I could wait…” And the thought of doing it, of raising a child, of living the rest of her life without Arizona was not something she liked considering.

Tim was on the leg press, his voice straining as he lifted the plates of weight. “She could come around,” he agreed slowly. “But you aren’t seriously going to get married without straightening this out, are you?”

“No, we can’t do that.”

“But you still want to get married, don’t you?”

Callie was distracted by a beep on her pager, holding it up with a frown. “Of course, I…”

Tim looked over when she didn’t finish, seeing her sit up on the bench. “What? You get paged?”

“No, it’s - I don’t actually know what this means…”

He lowered the weights back down and limped back across the room to read over her shoulder as though he would know it when she didn’t. “Lockdown? What does that mean?”

“I don’t know. We’ve never had one since I got here.” Callie was wracking her brain, trying to think of the various codes and their meanings. Red was fire, black was explosive, but she had no idea what a lockdown was supposed to be. She knew it meant that they were now effectively locked in the physical therapy wing but had no clues why. “It could just be a drill, but could you go check the offices, see who’s in here with us, and I’m going to check the doors and call the Chief.”

Tim nodded, expression serious. He was used to situations that required action, could handle himself. But if something was going on here, it was the other people he was responsible for. And since Arizona was safe at home, that made his priorities Callie and Teddy.

They’d gotten there right at lunch so it turned out that they were alone in the gym, the trainers’ offices empty. But Callie’s face when he got back was ashen under her natural tan. “What? What’s wrong?!”

“There’s a shooter in the hospital,” she said and he immediately guided her away from the door, clicking the doorstop at the base of the door into place, silently cursing the lack of an actual lock.

“Stay away from the doors,” he ordered sternly. “What does the shooter want? Who is he looking for?”

Callie shrugged, shaking her head. “We don’t know yet. He’s already killed some people, though.” Suddenly, arguing with Arizona about babies seemed so much more insignificant. Not when they might not make it home tonight. “Tim…”

“You’re going to be okay,” he promised. “I’ll get you out of here. Okay?” She nodded and he guided them to sit down. “Do you know where Teddy’s supposed to be?”

Shaking her head to clear it, Callie blinked. “Um, I think she’s supposed to be in surgery. I can call the OR.”

“Do it.” His brown eyes were stressed, anxious, but a crooked smirk made his dimples appear. “Please?” he added, taking a deep breath. Callie couldn’t help smiling back at him weakly. The Robbins siblings really were irresistible. 

A quick call reached Cristina Yang, the OR she and Teddy were using unaware of the danger, but Callie warned them to stay inside the OR. Tim relaxed some when he heard they were safe, leaning over on the bench with his elbows on his knees while Callie sat on the floor in front of him, back against the bottom row of lockers. “You need to call Arizona,” he reminded her once she was off the phone with Cristina and Teddy.

“Oh God…”

He nodded, one hand scrubbing at his hair. “Better to talk to her yourself so she knows you’re safe than for her to see it on the news…”

Before she could even press the speed-dial though, her phone was ringing, Arizona’s picture lighting up the screen. “Arizona, I was just about to call you,” she answered it.

“Are you okay?!” She was clearly close to frantic.

“We’re okay. We’re in PT,” Callie assured her, wishing more than anything that she could comfort Arizona herself.

The breath of relief Arizona let out was audible through the phone. “You’re with Tim? Thank God! I’m with Alex.”

That drew a frown to Callie’s lips and Tim reached forward and took the phone, switching it to speakerphone, growing quickly tired of not being able to hear half of the conversation. “You’re with Alex?” Callie questioned, heart suddenly pounding. 

Tim looked at her in surprise. It was clear something was wrong. “What?” he asked, confused.

“Alex is in the hospital… you’re in the hospital.” Tim went stiff and Callie felt like her head was going to explode. The only thing keeping her from having a panic attack was the fact that Arizona was supposedly safe at home. But she wasn’t at home. She was here. In the same building with a rampaging shooter. “Oh God, I’m going to throw up.”

“Calliope, we’re okay,” Arizona promised earnestly. “Don’t throw up. As long as you’re okay, I’m going to be fine.” She took another deep breath. “I know it’s been weird the last week, but I love you more than anything. You know that, right?”

Callie was close to tears and she nodded before she answered, Tim’s hand finding her shoulder supportively. “Of course I do. I love you, Arizona.”

“Is Tim listening? Am I on speaker?” asked Arizona.

“Yeah, why?” he questioned.

“It doesn’t matter. Listen if you want, I don’t care. Calliope, I love you. And I shouldn’t have needed a shooter in the hospital to make me say this, but I will never leave you. Do you hear me? No matter what it takes, we’ll figure this out, okay? No one’s breaking up, no one’s leaving. Because I love you, and you love me, and none of the rest of it matters.”

Unable to fight the tears anymore, Callie could only nod, wiping her face with both hands. “Okay,” she croaked out. “I love you.”

“And I love you,” Arizona echoed, her heart in her voice.

“You keep your head down, sis,” Tim chimed in when it became clear that Callie wasn’t able to say more. “Tell Karev I’ll kick his wrestling ass if he lets anything happen.”

“You be careful,” Arizona answered him. “Take care of my Calliope.”

“You got it.” His tone was serious and severe, a promise in itself, and he slid off the bench to sit down beside her, curling one arm around her. Abruptly, Arizona cursed on the other side of the phone and Callie went stiff again. “Sis, Arizona, what’s wrong?” Tim demanded gruffly.

“I’ve got to go. One of the kids up here’s Appendix just ruptured and we can’t get to the damn OR,” Arizona explained, her frustration clear. “Calliope…?”

Callie choked back tears, Tim’s hand guiding her head to his shoulder. “I’m here,” the Latina answered her partner. “You go be awesome.”

“I love you. Both of you,” Arizona said, distracted.

Callie cleared her throat. “I love you too.”

“We’ll see you soon, sis,” Tim promised, clicking the phone off and setting it on the bench in front of them.

Neither spoke for a long time, both lost in their own heads. Tim had never expected to leave the military, but now that he was home, in recovery from surgery no less, a gunman was the last thing he’d expected to find. And at the place his sister worked. It was unnerving. He found himself grateful to be there, glad he wouldn’t have to hear about the shooting on the news and be scared for his little sister. He imagined that even if he hadn’t been there, Callie would have protected Arizona, though. The way they felt about each other, he had no trouble seeing Callie standing between Arizona and a bullet.

“You okay?” he checked after he realized how much time had passed since they’d gotten off the phone, hearing her shaky breathing at his side.

Laughing unsteadily, Callie leaned into him, the fingers of one hand winding into the cotton of his t-shirt. “Part of me wants to tell you to go find her, keep her safe…” Of course she’d been thinking about the same thing he had.

He laughed as well, stretching his legs up to press his feet against the bench. It was bolted down and it gave him some resistance for his leg. “Yeah, how fast would she kill me if I left you here alone?” he countered knowingly. “Or worse, took you out around the hospital to run into the shooter? She is going to be alright, Callie. You know Arizona can take care of herself. And Karev has always watched her ass.” It succeeded in drawing a look from Callie and he smiled. “Not like that. Not how you watch her ass.”

Callie’s laugh was more relaxed. She did have a pretty obvious thing for Arizona’s ass. Of course he had noticed. “I know she’s your sister…”

“Oh, please, don’t say it!” he requested, grateful that they had managed to calm down even if it meant he had to hear Callie complement his sister’s butt.

“…but she’s got an incredible ass,” Callie finished, ignoring him.

“Well, you can’t ever tell her I said this, but you have an awesome rack,” he countered to get back at her, Callie rolling her eyes.

“You better hope I never tell her you said that.”

Before he could speak again, they heard a shot ring out, Callie squeezing her eyes closed as Tim went rigid beside her, his every muscle tight. It was close, he knew that instinctively, and it hadn’t been a handgun. It seemed unlikely that the shooter had gotten into the hospital unnoticed with anything bigger, so the shot was the police.

“Callie, that wasn’t a handgun,” he said, trying to be reassuring. She just looked confused and shook her head. “I doubt the shooter got in here with the gun that just made that shot.”

Thinking it through, Callie breathed deeply, trying to regain her calm. “So that shot was…”

“It sounds like a military rifle. Most likely the police,” he told her. “If the hospital is locked down, there’s probably a SWAT team outside looking to end this.”

However, his reassurances went entirely out the window when something hit the outside door of the PT gym. It wasn’t a shot, but it wasn’t nothing either. A sweaty, pale face appeared in the sliver of a window, empty ice blue eyes seeing them.

*****

Tim stood up as the door took another hit, the rubber stopper at the bottom protesting where it dragged across the floor. The next hit burst it open, Callie standing up to catch Tim’s elbow. He deliberately moved in between her and the man who entered, the gun trembling in his hand, though it was at his side, not pointing at them. “They shot me,” he gasped out, his right hand covering a high gunshot wound on his left shoulder.

They didn’t say anything, Tim eyeing him in wary consideration. Callie’s grip just tightened on his arm, not sure what he wanted to do. The shooter’s eyes surveyed them. “Are you doctors?” Callie was in her street clothes, not having time to go to the locker room before the lockdown, Tim in his workout clothes, the scars of his ordeals obvious on his shins beneath his loose shorts. Neither one of them looked like doctors.

“No,” Tim answered before Callie could say anything. “I’m a patient.” He gestured toward his leg. “I’m Tim and this is my sister Callie.” Callie and Arizona could never have passed for siblings, but with his darker coloring and the deep tan he still wore from his time in the desert, Tim Robbins could have passed for Callie’s brother if someone didn’t look too long. And this man obviously wasn’t in a right state of mind.

“Gary, Gary Clark,” the other man introduced himself shakily. He was wavering on his feet and clearly the effort to break the door open had taken most of his remaining energy. 

Callie kept a hand on Tim’s arm though, not wanting him to do something rash and get himself shot. “Mr. Clark, you’re really bleeding,” she said, looking around. “I don’t think you’re going to find any bandages down here, though.” It wasn’t a ruse, there really weren’t many medical supplies in the PT wing. Not for caring for a gunshot, at least. “This is physical therapy.”

The gun wobbled in his hand, the loss of blood starting to affect him. He just lingered in the doorway, looking at his surroundings almost idly. “This place is so big. I keep getting lost.” He wasn’t looking at them but Callie still held Tim at her side, digging her nails into his arm. “I don’t guess you know where the Chief of Surgery’s office is, do you?”

Callie knew exactly where it was but obviously wasn’t going to say anything. “No, we’re only ever in here so I can work out my leg,” Tim answered, drawing the shooter’s eyes to his obviously fresh scars.

“What happened to you anyway?”

“Car accident,” he lied smoothly. No way was he going to tell the disgruntled man with the gun that he was trained to take it away from him.

“Did the doctors fix you up right?”

Callie went stiff again behind him but Tim nodded confidently. “Yeah, they did. I shouldn’t have my legs right now.”

The empty blue eyes took another look at them. “You got lucky, son.” His breathing hitched into an almost sob. “They killed my wife here. She came to them, trusted them, and they just unplugged her. The surgeons… It’s not right.” He sighed heavily, head shaking from side to side. “They can’t just do that. Can’t just get away with it. Murdering her like that…” He didn’t turn his back on them, wasn’t that out of it yet, but he edged out of the room, pace painful and slow.

“Oh my God,” Callie whispered, suddenly trembling and taking what felt like her first breath in hours but had in reality only been a few minutes.

“You okay? You good?” Tim checked, turning to look at her, but keeping his body at an angle so he could keep an eye toward the door. She nodded shaky confirmation and he handed her the phone. “Call the police and tell them you’re inside the hospital, tell them the shooter is down here,” he instructed her, his voice steady and sure. It made her feel better, seeing him so calm.

That feeling shattered a second later with another gunshot, Tim throwing her forcefully against the lockers with his body covering her. She peeked over his shoulder when nothing more happened after a moment. “I think we’re okay,” she whispered, but Tim’s hands guided her around the corner of the lockers, into a little bit of cover.

“You don’t move. I’ll go check it out,” he instructed her sternly, gaze serious. He had never seemed so much the Colonel’s son as he did at that moment. Callie just nodded dutifully, shrinking back against the wall. He was only gone for a minute before he called for her. “You can come out, Callie. They got him.”

The sight of death was something she was familiar with, not comfortable with, just familiar. But the sight of Gary Clark’s body sprawled and bleeding in the hallway, the corresponding bullet hole and blood splatter on the wall behind where he’d been walking, it was stark and violent and harsh and completely knocked the breath out of her. He was dead, his eyes somehow impossibly even more empty in death than they’d been in life.

The SWAT members were talking to them, loud words and booming voices that she couldn’t understand. Tim stayed steady at her side though, handling answering questions and explanations. Callie was just in a haze. They were alive. That was the only thing in her head. She was alive. She got to go home. She got to see Arizona again, got to kiss her, to look in her eyes, touch her hands, play with her hair, fall asleep with her, make love to her. All the things she wanted to do with her every day for the rest of their lives.

And it occurred to her that she could live without having a baby with her if it meant she got to do all of those other things. Because having a baby without Arizona, as much as a baby was something she wanted, doing it without her partner was impossible. Any baby she had needed to be Arizona’s as well. She’d been debating it with herself, but it was as simple as that and it was perfectly clear now.

“Tim…” He looked down at her as she gasped his name. “I need to find her.” If she went another five minutes without seeing Arizona, she was going to lose it.

His dimples appeared as he smiled his understanding. “Yeah, I figured.” He could only blink as Callie rose up on her toes and kissed him straight on the mouth, could only stare as she dropped back flat on her feet. “Um, that was a reaction thing, right?” She was gone without another word, bolting for the Peds floor without looking back. “And we’re not telling Arizona, right?” he called before she was out of earshot. “Right?!” he tried again, raising his voice as she took off up the stairs. “Damn it,” he muttered under his breath to the SWAT team member beside him. “My sister’s going to kill me…”

Callie could hear Tim behind her, but couldn’t spare the time to reassure him that the kiss meant nothing. She was going to marry Arizona. And the thought of that was so good, made her so happy, that she’d kissed him. And she had a feeling that he’d saved her life by being with her in that room, so she’d kissed him. Charging into the Peds unit, she stopped only a second to grab a nurse and demand to know where Dr. Robbins was.

Performing an Appendectomy was normally small potatoes for Arizona, but an Appie with no anesthesia and no OR was something else and she almost wanted to wait until her lover was finished. But the time she was willing to wait to see her was down to under a minute and she snatched a gown, gloves, a mask, and a cap, preparing herself as if she was going into a normal OR and not just a patient room.

Arizona was focusing diligently on her patient, the little girl crying behind the drape that kept her from seeing her own open abdomen. Alex was standing across the table and noticed Callie, but Arizona didn’t look up from her work as Callie moved to the head of the bed and pulled one hand out of her glove, pushing her mask down so the little girl could see her face, not just her eyes under the blue scrub cap. “Squeeze my hand tight, tight, tight,” Callie encouraged the frightened patient in a whisper. “Oh, wow, you’re strong!”

“I want my mama!” the little girl, who couldn’t have been older than five, whimpered.

“I know you do, but you’ve got the best doctor in the world with you right now,” Callie told her, voice still low. “Yeah, Dr. Robbins is the best doctor in the whole world.”

She wasn’t speaking any louder, but Arizona looked up at the sound of her name, eyes widening over her mask as she met Callie’s. “Oh, thank God,” the blonde whispered fervently, freezing and drinking in the sight of her lover in the room. She couldn’t express it now though, when she was in surgery.

Callie smiled and could see the relieved expression Arizona’s mask was hiding crinkling her eyes at the corners. “People feel so much better after she helps them. Sometimes people feel better just after she walks in the room. Because she has got this super-magic smile. And when she smiles at you, everything gets better.” Callie took a deep breath, feeling the little girl squeezing her hand hard. “You don’t know it, because you can’t see her right now, but she’s giving you, wow, she’s giving you her best super-magic smile!” Callie promised with a reassuring smile of her own, glancing up at Arizona again who was now staring at her with slow tears sliding down her cheeks under her mask.

“Isn’t that right, Dr. Robbins?” she asked gently.

Arizona shook her head, clearing her throat to get a handle on her emotions. Relief was overwhelming her now that she could see Calliope, see that she was safe. “Right,” she croaked finally. “I am, Ruby.” She took a moment to refocus, finish her operation. She was nearly done, but with everything about this day being so terrifying and wrong, she took the time to double and triple check her every stitch.

Closing up and putting her instruments down, she took a big step back from her makeshift table and snapped her gloves off, breathing deeply and slowly as she tore off mask and gown and tucked her favorite pink scrub cap into her pocket. Her eyes closed as she gathered herself, finding Callie’s when they opened. The love of her life was safe, in the room, whole and healthy and charming the crap out of a scared little girl. She was amazing. And she would clearly be an amazing parent.

Ruby laughed as Callie hummed something to her, Arizona just watching. Could she want this? She wanted to want it. Because she couldn’t lose Callie. She tried to imagine having a kid, though. Their kid. The thought sent a shiver of sensation down her spine. The thought of bringing their child there to the hospital, of having to stand by and watch while someone else took care of their child came to mind quick on the heels of the first thought. It was enough to make her heart drop out of her chest.

“What are you thinking about so hard?” Callie’s quiet voice brought her back to the present and she realized that they were now alone in the room, the nurses moving Ruby to find her parents and undoubtedly get transferred to another hospital. There was no way anyone would be working here for the rest of the day.

Throwing her arms around Callie’s shoulders, she was relieved by the Latina’s strong arms wrapping her up securely. “Oh my God, I love you so much. I’m so glad you’re okay.” She twisted her fingers into dark hair, pulling the scrub cap out of her way and dropping it uncaringly to the floor. “You are okay, right?”

“I’m okay, Arizona,” Callie promised, burying her face in the blonde’s neck.

“Where’s Tim?”

“Probably still talking to the SWAT guy. Or else he’s in the OR hallway looking for Teddy.”

“Is she okay?” 

“She’s fine. She was in surgery the whole time. I saw Alex. Tim was going to kick his ass if he wasn’t around. And I might’ve helped,” confessed Callie on a sigh. “I was promised he’d be watching your butt for me. But not in a sexy way.”

It got her a laugh, Arizona leaning back to smile at her. “He can try it if he wants to get hit with a brick,” she promised. “I’m so glad to see you, Calliope.”

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, a police officer opening it up. “Dr. Torres, we’ll need to get a statement from you about what happened, ma’am.”

Normally, Arizona would have taken the opportunity to tease her about being called ‘ma’am’ but she was caught up on the mentioned incident. “’What happened?’ Calliope, what happened?!” All of a sudden, she was panicking again, her heart skipping in spite of the fact that she could see for herself that Callie was perfectly safe and appeared to be fine.

Taking a deep breath, Callie pushed escaped blonde curls back behind Arizona’s ear. “Let’s talk while we walk, okay?” She found one of Arizona’s hands at the back of her neck and pulled it down to lace their fingers. “We’re both okay, alright? But we did see the shooter.”

“You what?!”

“Arizona, please, we are okay,” Callie reiterated. “Tim didn’t leave my side for a second and the guy had already been shot once through the shoulder. We talked to him and he left. The SWAT sniper got him just a minute later. That is all.” 

Arizona stared sideways up at her in disbelief. “That is all? Calliope…”

“Oh, and I might have kissed Tim, but…” She figured she might as well spill all of the proverbial beans, shoulders rising around her ears in preparation for the reaction.

Her fiancée didn’t disappoint, pulling them promptly to a stop in the hallway and staring her down. It was a trait she looked to have inherited from Bailey. “When you say you kissed him…”

“One peck, on the lips, not even a second,” Callie rattled off the details she thought Arizona might be asking for. “And, you should keep in mind that he basically save my life today,” she added hurriedly.

Arizona’s blue eyes searched her face silently for a long moment, the blonde apparently mulling something over. Deliberately, she turned to face Callie and both hands on her face pulled her into a kiss. This kiss was nothing at all like the meeting of lips Callie had had with Tim and Arizona was clearly determined to wipe anyone else but her out of her lover’s mind. This kiss was deep, and slow, a dance between their mouths.

And Callie was perfectly willing to let it happen, answering the kiss passionately. All their rules for PDA around the hospital were clearly out the window as well. Arizona bit Callie’s lip in silent rebuke (and maybe a bit of marking her territory) but it just made the brunette groan into her mouth, her own hands sliding across the back of Arizona’s neck and through her hair. Then her ring, the engagement ring Arizona had put on her finger, got caught in blonde lengths and the kiss broke as Arizona’s hair was pulled.

Untangling herself, Callie chuckled a bit breathlessly. “I love you,” she said, glad when Arizona smiled and said it back to her. “Please don’t be mad at Tim about the kiss. He was shocked, really…”

Arizona’s smile didn’t disappear but her dimples were shallow. “I’ll let him off the hook because he kept you safe, but I need you to never remind me about it.”

“Done,” Callie promised instantly. The cop who’d come to fetch her was waiting at the far end of the hall and she nodded toward him. “How about we do this crap and go home?”

Arizona didn’t move though, standing still in the hallway. Her voice was hoarse as she spoke again, “People died, Calliope.” Callie’s expression grew serious. “People are dead and…”

“We’re not dead,” Callie gently reminded her, guiding her in closer again. “Let’s go home and talk, okay?”

Arizona could only nod and let her partner pull her along. She threw herself at her brother in a hug as soon as she saw him while Callie went to give her statement to the police. “Thank you,” Arizona whispered into Tim’s chest, both arms squeezing him tight.

“That woman loves you, Arizona.” He loved his sister, he really did, but if she screwed this up with Callie, he was going to be so pissed. But, of course, she was his sister and he had her back no matter what. They were both watching Callie across the lobby, her own brown eyes constantly searching out Arizona whenever she could spare a glance. “We talked today, you know. And she loves you. And she’s good for you.” His voice was serious, earnest. “I think she could make you want more than you ever thought you did.”

Callie left the cop and Tim left Arizona with that final statement to ponder, the brunette greeting her fiancée with a kiss. “Ready to get out of here?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” Both looked to Tim, who had ridden in with Callie, but he waved them off.

“I’m going to wait for Teddy and Karev. You guys go.”

He was clearly trying to give them some privacy at the house and Callie sent him a grateful smile which he answered with a wink. It seemed surprising to Callie that it was only mid-afternoon, the sun even peeking out from behind the clouds. It felt like it should have been storming or dark outside like it got in the movies when bad things happened. Maybe that meant that today wouldn’t be all bad. Arizona drove them home the way she always did, Callie just riding silently and holding her girlfriend’s hand in her lap. No way was she letting it go.


	10. Chapter 10

Karev’s Camaro was in the driveway but the house was empty and quiet as they entered, both hesitating just inside the door. They needed to talk, but the setting was up to choice. Their bedroom was more intimate, less likely to be interrupted, but the living room would give them room to get some distance if that’s what they found they needed. Making a decision, Callie guided Arizona up the stairs with her. She wasn’t going to let them give each other space until they destroyed themselves, even with their mutual declarations of forever. They still needed to have this talk.

The brunette immediately fell into bed, burrowing her face into Arizona’s pillow to bury herself in the scent of her hair. It made tears burn suddenly in her eyes. One thing had gone wrong and she never would have had this again. Both arms slid under the pillow to hold it tighter. She could hear Arizona moving around the room, kicking off her sneakers, getting fresh socks out of the dresser, the same things she did every day when she got home from work. It was so ordinary, so exactly what she wanted to see every day, that it almost made her lose control of her tears. Instead, she just turned onto her side to watch.

Arizona was gorgeous. Everything about her drew her in. “I had this list,” Callie said, speaking before she’d realized that she intended to speak. Arizona turned from the dresser to look at her but didn’t move, not sure what was coming. “When the shooter came into the room and I thought we might be about to die…” That prompted Arizona to move closer. “I had this list of things in my head that I wasn’t going to get to do…”

“Calliope…” She didn’t know what was on this list, but the tone of her lover’s voice - almost flat, but sad at the same time - was enough to nearly break her heart. “We can do whatever you want.” The promise was made without thought to the repercussions, but she realized even as she said it that she meant it. Anything Callie wanted, she would get from her. It might take her a few years to get ready for some things, but she would try. Anything for Callie.

Callie sat up and opened her arms wordlessly, Arizona crawling into them without protest. “This was on my list,” she whispered. She turned her face into Arizona’s cheek and kissed her, letting her lips linger longer than she normally would on a cheek kiss. “So was that,” she breathed into the blonde’s ear. “Everything on my list was something I wanted to do with you, things that I thought I’d never get to do again.”

“Calliope,” Arizona sighed again, Callie shifting them so they were laying down. There was nothing sexual about it though. She just wanted to be close.

“Shh,” the brunette hushed her. “I know you had to have been thinking some crap about letting me go so I can be have kids and be happy, but that’s not going to make me happy. You make me happy, Arizona. So you just let me talk. Just for a minute,” she requested, nudging her nose against Arizona’s. “I love you and I’m going to tell you every single day for the rest of our lives. And everything that I wanted to do, everything I want, it’s not worth doing if you’re not there with me.” Arizona’s big blue eyes blinked but she didn’t say a word, just drew in a deep breath. “Everything that I thought about never getting to do, it was all the little stuff. When I thought we might die, I just wanted to hold your hand,” she did just that and Arizona had to fight tears, “and I wanted to see your gorgeous eyes, and push this little bit of hair out of your face,” the arm she was lying on came up to touch one of Arizona’s curls that fell stubbornly over her right eye, “and I wanted make love to you, and fall asleep holding you.” Callie sucked in a shaky breath of her own as the relief hit her again. “And I wanted to kiss you. I want to kiss you so bad.”

“So kiss me,” Arizona whispered, not noticing or caring that she was almost pleading.

Callie smiled but didn’t lean in, just squeezed her hand. “I’m not done talking. I promise I will kiss you.” The hand that had been rolling blonde hair between its fingers trailed over her face to swipe a thumb gently across a full bottom lip and Arizona’s free hand rose to pull Callie’s palm to her lips, kissing her hand over and over again. “All of this stuff just went through my mind, you know, all these things I wanted to do with you, things I was going to miss… But not once did I think about a baby.”

Arizona’s next breath was short and shocked behind Callie’s hand and she unconsciously shifted their hands to her chest, holding Callie’s palm against her rapidly beating heart. “Calliope…”

“Let me finish,” Callie prompted again patiently, smiling softly. “I still want a baby, Arizona. But if I have to lose you to get one, if I have to do it without you, it’s not something I need. Having a baby, living, doing much of anything without you is just… a waste when we could be doing them together.” Arizona didn’t say anything for a long moment, not sure if she could say anything even if it was her turn to talk. “You can talk now,” Callie whispered, smiling in amusement.

“I’m not sure I can,” Arizona said, prompting a quiet laugh from Callie.

She just pulled Arizona further into her, content to just fill the same space as her other half. “That’s okay too,” she promised, nuzzling her face into the blonde’s neck. “I like it just like this.”

An answering moan escaped from Arizona and Callie smiled against her skin. “Okay, you can’t say stuff like ‘I want to kiss you’ and ‘I like it just like this’ and not kiss me, Calliope!” Callie lifted her face to give her a smile, leaning down immediately for a slow, soft kiss. It was brief, with neither of them feeling the need to push for anything more at the moment, (the ‘I want to make love to you’ statement could be addressed later) and Callie settled herself back against Arizona’s side with a satisfied sigh.

“You know, while you were doing all this thinking today, I was thinking too,” Arizona said slowly, hesitant. “And I want to want a baby. For you. Because I want to give you everything you need.”

Callie shook her head, surprising her. “You have to want it too, Arizona. You can’t give me a baby because you think it’ll keep me happy. You have to want it too. Otherwise we’re just going to resent each other.” She breathed deeply, nuzzling into her neck. “And I’ll wait. I’m not going to push you.”

It was Arizona’s turn for a deep breath. “Okay, well I’m going to try, I promise. And I’m not saying I’ll never get there, I’m going to keep trying to wrap my head around it, but I don’t want a baby right now,” she said honestly. “We’re still new attendings, and we’re getting married, and our house is basically a frat house…”

Callie laughed, amused by the accurate metaphor. Between Alex and his women, and Tim and Teddy - who came along with a guest package of Owen and Cristina and Meredith and Derek - the house was a bit crowded most of the time. It totally was a frat house. “You’re not going to kick Alex and Tim out when we get married, are you?”

“Well, we’ll be married, so it’ll be our decision, but no, I’d rather not kick them out,” Arizona acknowledged, smiling herself. They were being honest with each other and no one was leaving. It might be possible that they could really do this. “But I don’t know about having them and a baby in the house.”

Laughing again, full, deep laughs from her stomach, Callie nodded. “Yeah, okay, I see your point. We can talk about it again if we ever decide to add a baby to the household.”

“You would seriously not have a baby for me?” Arizona asked, still not believing that this incredible, amazing, miraculous woman would give that up for her.

Callie nodded, kissing her neck without lifting her head. “Yes. I’m not going to force you to have a baby, Arizona. And if you’re not my baby’s mother, then I’m not having a baby.” It was as simple as that for her. She could give up a lot in life - George, her parents, Miami - but she couldn’t give up Arizona, even if it meant giving up babies. She could always be an awesome aunt to Tim’s kids. And he would be an amazing dad.

“Well, I’m really going to try and get used to that,” Arizona promised earnestly. “Because I want to make you happy, Calliope.” Callie’s hand just squeezed her hip lightly. “And Tim probably wouldn’t say it, but he will be so pissed at me if I screw this up.” Callie chuckled against her neck, the warmth of her breath setting Arizona’s skin on fire. “And he said you make me want more and he’s right. I want more with you than I ever wanted for myself. So, I swear, I’m really trying to want to be a mother.” Even saying the sentence was weird. “Because if I’m going to be a parent with anyone, it’s going to be you, Calliope. I can’t live without you and our ten hypothetical kids.”

Callie couldn’t stop a smile, relieved she didn’t have to. “We’ll figure it out,” she promised softly. “Whatever we want, we’ll make it work.”

Arizona let out a deep breath, feeling as though she could melt into the bed. This last week had been so stressful, and today didn’t even bear thinking about, but Callie was safe, was in her arms, and was apparently willing to wait on her to be ready to have a child, possibly give it up entirely. “I think you need to kiss me again,” she requested on her next exhale, Callie’s arm sliding under her neck as she shifted herself back up onto her elbow.

This kiss started slow but didn’t, couldn’t, stay that way for long, not when Callie could have been shot, not when she might have been in this bed alone tonight, trying to mourn an unfathomable loss. Feeling the near desperation in the hands that were suddenly clinging to hair and shirt and side, anywhere they touched, Callie moved closer, delivering herself fully into Arizona’s hands. The blonde adapted without thought, relying entirely on feeling as she flipped them, not surrendering Callie’s lips for a second. Callie over her felt amazing, but she needed her partner safe under her hands right now.

“Oh God,” she gasped out when she had to, the burn in her lungs for air overpowering even her need to keep kissing her.

Callie caught another hard kiss before speaking herself, “I know, I’m here,” she said breathlessly, hoping it would soothe her somewhat. Arizona’s hips rocked down hard on her own and she moved a leg to help her out, give her something to ride. “It’s okay,” she encouraged her when she felt the hesitation in her lover’s frame, hands moving to her hips to help steady her. “I want you to.”

Blue eyes fell closed heavily. “Oh, fuck, Calliope…” Arizona’s voice was a throaty moan. She wasn’t sure they’d ever done it like this, even in some of their faster on-call room quickies, both of them fully clothed, no tongues, and no hands involved beyond her palms on Callie’s chest and Callie’s grip on her hips for balance. But she could feel the edge coming at her, needed to come, needed Callie to get her there and bring her back to earth.

Craning up to kiss across the top of her lover’s chest, Callie caught the back of her neck with one hand while Arizona gasped and moaned and rocked against her helplessly. “I’m right here,” she breathed into her ear, the reminder making the blonde moan. “I love you, Arizona,” Callie continued softly, sucking on the lobe. “Everything about you.” Arizona’s moan went up sharply in pitch but she didn’t say anything, too caught up in feeling everything, her breath coming hard and fast, her eyes unable to do anything but stay squeezed closed. “Arizona…”

Rocketing over the precipice with a breathless gasp, her body went stiff and still before melting spontaneously into Callie’s warmth and comfort and support. Coming back to awareness found gentle hands in her hair, a soft voice whispering in her ear. Lips kissed the side of her neck and she started to roll off, realizing dimly that Callie might be uncomfortable after however many hazy minutes she’d just spent collapsed on top of her. Of course, the concept of time was still a bit fuzzy for her currently.

Callie’s arms kept her firmly in place, however. “Don’t move,” she requested, more than a little breathless sounding herself. “I like you right there.”

It prompted a surprising chuckle from the blissed out blonde, laughter that quickly spread to Callie, both of them laughing without hesitation or self-consciousness. “Oh, I love you,” Arizona interjected between laughs, pushing herself up on her elbows to look down into happy brown eyes. “I love you,” she repeated, dropping a kiss beside her nose.

Callie’s smile didn’t slip, her eyes didn’t blink or flicker. “I love you too,” she echoed, whispering. “More than anything.” 

Arizona kept her eyes locked on her, smiling and dragging a hand across her face, Callie kissing her palm as it passed over her lips. “This is real?”

“This is real,” Callie confirmed immediately. “Arizona, we’re together, we’re in a relationship, we’re getting married. And whatever we decide to do from now on, we do it together.”

Arizona’s throat moved as she swallowed, blinking swiftly and ducking her head to rest against Callie’s chest. “If I say I love you again it’s… but I don’t know what else to say…”

“You don’t have to say anything,” said Callie softly. “Just lay here with me.”

Obliging her, Arizona rested comfortably on top of her, feeling Callie’s arms snug around her hips, her shoulders. She didn’t know how long they lay there in silence, but she wasn’t tired or sleepy, just comfortable and warm and safe. A knock on the door broke the quiet and they could hear Tim from the other side, “If you’re not already having sex, we have a proposition.”

Laughing and sliding off to flop down beside her, Arizona called for him to come in, not bothering to sit up or remove herself from Callie’s arms. “What’s up, brother?”

He answered her with a grin, “I’m here to collect.” The women just exchanged confused glances and he continued, still grinning. “Callie owes me a dance. I’d like to collect on it.”

Callie was still smiling and she leaned up to look down into Arizona’s face. “It’s whatever we want to do,” the blonde reminded her warmly.

“You’re really up for going dancing?” Callie asked, genuinely surprised.

“I’m not the one who had a gun in my face today, Calliope.”

Callie protested, “It was never in my face…”

“Same difference. I wasn’t the one who was in the same room with a crazy, gun-toting, lunatic,” Arizona corrected herself, tone growing sharp as her mind offered up possible scenarios that could have happened from the combination of doctor hating psycho in a room with Callie, each one worse than the last.

Seeing her partner’s stress, Callie nodded and sat up. “Let’s go dancing then.” Arizona needed a distraction, needed to calm down, relax. Tim gave her a wink and Arizona leaned against her as she sat up as well. She knew that she’d promised she wouldn’t go crazy if Callie danced with Tim, but the way she felt right now, the need to keep Callie close might not let her get enough space to dance with anyone but her. After the day they’d had, she didn’t feel up for letting Callie out of her sight.

“And, sis, you promised to behave,” Tim reminded her, smirking.

Teasing her brother was familiar and made her feel better, something she expected was his intention. He’d always been such a good brother. “You just watch the hands,” she answered, shooting him a look and pushing herself off the bed. Callie took her hand as she stood up, leaning in to kiss her cheek softly and whispering love into her ear. Arizona looked at her with a sudden sly grin. “You just remember that you’re not dancing with me. Keep it clean.”

Chuckling, Tim eyed Callie. “Do I even want to know what kind of dancing you two do? Because we’re going dancing in a public place. I can’t promise it’ll be well lit though.” Arizona just glared warningly at both of them. “We’re talking about dancing, not sex.”

“You’ve never seen her dance,” Arizona advised seriously. Callie just shrugged unapologetically. She knew what she looked like when she danced. And she knew exactly how it affected Arizona. Dancing together on Arizona’s last birthday was one of her favorite memories.

Tim laughed and curled an arm over both of their shoulders. “Oh, this is going to be even more fun than I thought it was!” he rejoiced, ignoring his sister’s glare.

“Why do you want to go dancing today anyway?” the blonde grumbled. “Today sucked.”

“Because we can, little sister,” he answered her earnestly. “I have both of my legs and can walk. And none of us got shot today and we could have. And, last but not least, you two are getting married, so we are going to celebrate.”

She shoved him toward the door, though she was smiling. “Well, if we’re doing this, we’re going to do it right. So you leave so we can get changed, because I’m not going dancing in scrubs.” She raked her eyes over her partner. “And Calliope will undoubtedly want to wear some dress that is going to make me want to kill people for looking at her.”

Callie just grinned, happy to see her smile. It was still fun to tease Arizona, no matter how easy it was sometimes. And people looking at her, lusting after her, was one of the easiest ways to get under her lover’s skin. And the sex after they got home was always phenomenal.

“I’ll leave you ladies to it, then,” Tim said, backing out of their bedroom. “And if we don’t see you in half an hour, we’ll assume you’re having sex and we’ll go without you.”

“That’s probably smart,” Callie agreed, winking at Arizona, who couldn’t help blushing. He pulled the door closed behind him with a grin and they moved toward their closet. “I can tone down the sexy if you want me to,” she offered sweetly. She enjoyed teasing Arizona, but she didn’t want to push anything when she knew Arizona was already stressed.

The blonde snorted in denial. “No, you can’t, Calliope. It’s innate. I’ll just remind Tim to keep his eyes on your face.” Callie remembered his comment about her breasts and had to bite back a laugh. She’d promised she wouldn’t tell and she wouldn’t, but it could still be fun if he thought she’d given him up.

“I’m sure he’ll need the reminder, babe,” she agreed dryly, reaching for her favorite black dress. It was comfortable but still sexy, and it clung to her curves and showed plenty of leg. That made it Arizona’s favorite dress too and she groaned appreciatively as Callie picked it out.

Tim, Teddy, and Alex were waiting on them in the living room when they were ready, Karev already having tossed back a shot. “We doing this?” he asked. “Torres, you’re looking hot!” he greeted them. Even with tequila in his stomach, he knew better than offer the same greeting to Arizona.

“I guess I’m driving,” Arizona commented in answer, rolling her eyes at him.

The rest of the group just laughed. “I think that was a given,” Tim reminded her, wisely not agreeing aloud with Alex, no matter that he was absolutely right. Both of them were stunning, but he didn’t want to get hit by either his sister or Teddy.

“Yang and the Greys are going to meet us there,” Teddy said, grinning at her friends’ surprise. “It’s like girls’ night!”

“Hey!” Tim and Alex protested simultaneously.


	11. Chapter 11

Arizona’s blue eyes were locked across the room, but her hand found the fresh wineglass that Teddy put in front of her. The heart surgeon glanced over her shoulder to where Tim and Callie were dancing as she took a seat across from her best friend. “You don’t seriously think he would try anything, do you?” she asked, amused.

Taking a sip of her wine, Arizona shook her head. “No, I don’t.” Callie laughed at something Tim said and Arizona couldn’t help smiling. Happy Callie made her happy. “It’s her. I don’t want to take my eyes off of her,” she confessed hoarsely. “I could have lost her today. And it’s felt like I’ve almost been losing her for the last week. I thought this baby thing was going to wreck us.”

“It’s not?” Teddy asked, quietly relieved. She’d watched her best friend date, but she’d never seen her as happy as she was with Callie. “You guys talked?”

Arizona sighed, her eyes shifting to her friend. “Yeah, we did. I guess she talked to Tim too. She says she doesn’t want to have a baby without me, and I can’t live without her…” She took a shuddery breath and took another look at Callie. “I want to want it, for her. I want to be able to give her everything that she needs.” She blinked and there were tears in her eyes. “I need to want it, Teddy. I just don’t know…”

The Cardio surgeon grinned, reaching across the table to take her friend’s hand. “You’re great with kids, Arizona,” she said supportively. “And can you imagine how cute Callie’s kid would be? I mean, seriously! Picture that kid,” requested Teddy.

Doing so, Arizona couldn’t help smiling, her eyes drifting back to her fiancée, Tim spinning them. Callie’s child would be unbelievably gorgeous, adorable, precious - every good adjective that there was. And being that child’s parent - a blessing beyond anything she’d ever imagined for her life. But she was scared to death to want that. Because losing it, anything threatening it - like Callie had been threatened today - would destroy her utterly. But she could see those dark eyes she loved, the olive skin, and black hair in miniature and her heart skipped a beat.

“A mini you would be pretty cute too, Robbins,” Teddy continued, smiling into her wine at the suddenly wistful (dare she say, longing) expression on her friend’s face. “Your mom showed me some pictures one time.”

Rolling her eyes, Arizona grumbled under her breath, “I still can’t believe she showed you those.”

Teddy just smirked. “But imagine Callie loving on a little blonde baby,” she proposed.

Arizona’s smile grew slowly as that image appeared in her mind. Calliope would be a beautiful mother. “You don’t have to convince me that she would be an amazing mother. I know that. I have no reservations about Calliope, like, at all! She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I know without a doubt that she would be the best thing that would ever happen to a baby.”

“It’ll just take you time?” Teddy asked gently.

Arizona nodded. “And she said she’ll wait until I’m ready, and I don’t want to lose her, but what if I never get past this? What if I can’t give her this?”

Teddy sighed, following Arizona’s eyes to where Callie was still dancing with Tim. “I think you’re scared of what might happen somewhere down the line, but I don’t think you’re scared to want this. At least not with Callie. You’re just not ready. And maybe you’ll never be ready or change your mind,” she offered a smile, “and that’s okay. Callie’s not pushing, is she?”

Arizona shook her head with a sigh. “She’s wonderful.”

Teddy squeezed her wrist gently. “Okay, you need to get out there with her, because I can’t handle any more of the soft sighing,” she stated fondly. “Send me my stud back, please,” she requested, smirking when Arizona’s eyes rolled and she grimaced.

“Gross! That’s my brother!” she whined, shaking her head as though she could shake the statement out. “But I am going to go dance with my fiancée.” She drained her wineglass as she slid off the tall chair. “Are you coming?”

“Yep,” Teddy agreed, curling her arm through hers as they went onto the dance floor.

Arizona glanced sideways at her, looking up at her taller friend. “Thanks, Teddy. You’re a good friend.”

“You got it,” the heart surgeon promised, nodding toward Callie. “Go get her.”

Tapping on Tim’s shoulder, Arizona was smiling sweetly as he turned to her. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to cut in,” she said, glancing from him to Callie. “My turn.” Tim graciously stepped aside, offering Callie’s hand to Arizona with a smile and kissing Callie on the cheek. “Teddy’s looking for you.” There was an edge in Arizona’s tone after the kiss and Callie smirked, pulling her into her arms.

“Thank you for the dance, Tim,” Callie said politely, swaying with Arizona. “Hey you,” she whispered, nuzzling her nose against the blonde’s. “I could feel you watching me. Did you have a nice talk with Teddy?” She could see the redness in Arizona’s eyes, knew she’d been close to tears all night.

A deep breath prefaced the blonde’s speech, blue eyes closing. “We talked about you.”

“So, good talk?” Callie teased lightly. She knew they still had plenty of talking to do themselves, but it was good that Arizona could talk to Teddy, to Tim. And she’d talked to Tim herself. But they still needed to talk to each other. It didn’t have to happen tonight, though. It didn’t even need to happen anytime soon. Because she wasn’t lying - she wanted a baby, but more than that, she wanted Arizona’s baby. So she’d wait until her partner was ready. And if she never got ready, they’d still have a happy, wonderful life with each other.

“Of course,” Arizona said quietly, smiling and leaning into her. There was no space between them, their dancing form completely nonexistent, but she was in Callie’s arms and she couldn’t care less about what they looked like. Warm lips pressed against her hair and she squeezed the hips in her hands. “I saw you today, with Ruby. You’re amazing with kids, Calliope.”

“I don’t want just any baby,” Callie interjected before Arizona could give her another out. “I want the best baby, which is yours, or no baby.” She decisively leaned back to meet teary blue eyes, framing her face with both hands. “But if you think I’m getting knocked up anytime soon, you’re crazy. Because we are both brilliant surgeons and it is not the time to have a baby. So this is me not ever pushing you. And if we never have kids, we’ll still have an amazing, awesome life together, right? And we already have the big house, but we can get dogs…”

“Ooh, can we get chickens too? I have a weird thing for chickens.”

Callie’s smile was amused. “And chickens,” she added gamely. “As long as we’re doing it together, I’m going to love whatever life we have.”

Arizona blinked and tears broke free, the fingers at Callie’s waist winding tighter into the fabric of her dress. “I am so in love with you. You know that, right? Please know that…” she pleaded. “Because I will spend the rest of my life telling you that.”

“Sweetheart, I know that. Of course I know that,” Callie promised, kissing her softly. “Now, come on,” she coaxed. “We’re getting married, we’re young, we’re hot, we are sexy, and we are dancing. Let’s celebrate!” Thumbs brushed tears away from her eyes, pleased to see her smile. “There’s my girl. My gorgeous, incredible, awesome girl.”

The kiss she laid on her wasn’t entirely appropriate for the setting, but Arizona couldn’t care less. Because Callie was right. They were hot, sexy, engaged, and alive. They had every reason in the world to celebrate. So she threw her arms around her woman and kissed the hell out of her. The song changed to some pop song that none of them knew but the beat was fast and Arizona was smiling as she let herself be spun, catching sight of Alex at the DJ booth. She was a happily engaged lesbian woman, but sometimes she could kiss him.

The floor flooded with people at the faster dance song, keeping them from getting space between them. Neither of them hated being face to face and smiling, though. It enabled Arizona to keep stealing kisses from the grinning Latina in front of her. The packed floor quickly ratcheted the heat up too and they were soon sweating.

“I think I need another drink,” Arizona leaned in to yell, the only way she could be sure Callie heard her, stealing another kiss for good measure.

Alex slid out of the crowd to fill her spot dancing with Callie. “I got it, boss,” he said with a wink, Callie putting one hand on his shoulder while his hands went to her hips.

Arizona just rolled narrowed eyes at him. “Watch the hands, Karev.”

“It’s not like you can stick me with Stark anymore,” he shot back. When he’d learned that Arizona was getting Head of Peds he’d fallen to his knees and thrown both arms up into the air in his excitement. And there had been a strange moment where he’d looked like he was going to kiss her, but Callie’s cracking knuckles had restored rationality before he’d made a grave mistake.

“I can give your surgeries to Little Grey or Stevens,” Arizona challenged him.

That got her looks from Alex and Callie, the two protesting in unison, “Hey!”

“Whatever,” Arizona said, rolling her eyes. “Just keep your hands off my fiancée,” she ordered.

Alex scoffed, dancing easily with Callie, smirking when he noticed her eyes tracking Arizona off the floor. “Robbins being all possessive does it for you, does it?” he joked.

Callie laughed. “Alex, everything she does ‘does it for me,’” she assured him.

“Have I said thanks for the headphones yet?”

Throwing her head back, she laughed again, one hand patting his chest. “Glad we could help. And, hey, thank you for helping get us out tonight. I think we all needed this today.”

He nodded with a sigh. “Yeah, Torres. Today totally sucked.”

“Thanks for keeping an eye on her for me,” Callie said earnestly, leaning in to speak into his ear so she wouldn’t have to yell.

“Hey, thanks for not getting yourself or Tim shot,” he told her. “Cause she wouldn’t have made it.” Alex jumped when Callie kissed his cheek. “Watch it with that! I don’t want to lose my surgeries!”

“I give inappropriate affection when I’m relieved,” she said, laughing with a shrug. “Don’t tell Arizona.” She wasn’t going to tell Alex that she’d also laid one on Tim. Not if mentioning it would get back to Arizona.

He agreed with a fervent nod and a relieved look. “Hell no! I’m not suicidal, Torres!”

“How about I buy you a drink?” Callie offered, grinning.

They had barely reached the table when Arizona slugged Alex sharply. “I saw that!”

“She kissed me! Quit hitting me!” he protested. “Hit her!”

Tim flushed suddenly and Callie offered a sheepish shrug. “You do need to stop doing that,” he advised, leaning over to speak into her ear. He shot back up straight when Arizona looked their way.

Callie mouthed an apology and grimaced. “Arizona…”

“We’re getting the next round,” the blonde declared, Teddy, Tim, and Alex exchanging glances. Yang and Grey were still on the dance floor, completely oblivious to the rest of the group. Hooking an arm through Callie’s, she escorted her to the bar.

The brunette leaned over the bar to yell their order, feeling Arizona’s hands settle on her hips. “Babe,” she started, turning back to her.

Arizona cut her off with a kiss, a slow meeting between their lips. Callie was surprised to see that she was smiling as they pulled away, Arizona still leaning into her. “You, my love, really do need to stop kissing men. You’re going to give me a jealousy thing.”

Callie stole another kiss, bumping her nose against Arizona’s. “You have nothing to be jealous about,” she promised. “I promise I will try to stop kissing men.” Her brown eyes were light with teasing.

“Calliope…”

Arizona’s warning was cut off by the arrival of their drinks, Callie handing a few off to her and turning to smirk at her. “Trust me, babe. There was a time when making you jealous would have been the hottest thing I could imagine, but you being sure about us is so much hotter,” she promised.

“Then what’s with that dress?” the blonde questioned, returning her smirk. “Because you can’t tell me you’re not wearing that to make me jealous!”

Callie grinned down at herself. “You like this dress! This dress is hot!”

“Exactly!” Arizona crowed. “You’re hot and the dress is hot! And I doubt many of the people in here are blind, Calliope.”

“But I don’t want any of them.”

“That doesn’t mean they don’t want you!” countered the blonde. Calliope Torres was hot. And she doubted that she was the only one in the bar that had imagined getting her naked tonight. But she was the only one with a shot at that. Much less an entirely accurate mental picture to tide her over in the meantime. And she was the one who would actually be taking the entirely sexy black dress off of her at the end of the night.

Laughing, Callie set her group of glasses on the table, the others reaching for theirs. “Did I ever tell you that George took almost two weeks to call me after I asked him out?” She wasn’t sure why this was an appropriate comment, but she had some slight hope that it would reassure Arizona. Not every man out there wanted her.

Simultaneously, Alex and Tim choked on their drinks and Teddy froze with her own at her lips, eyes wide. Arizona’s jaw dropped open. “What?” Tim questioned dumbly. “You had to ask him out?”

“Seriously?” Teddy added in disbelief.

“Idiot,” Arizona muttered, adding her two cents to the discussion.

Alex shook his head, blinking. “That guy took weeks to call you back? That guy? What the hell is wrong with that guy?!”

Rolling her eyes, Callie took a sip of her wine. “It’s not like he didn’t have other options, you guys. Remember Izzie? Actually, a lot of the girls there had a crush on him.”

“I think I’m going to punch that guy when we go back to work,” Alex declared, scowling.

“Me too,” agreed Arizona. “And Izzie.”

“I appreciate it,” Callie chimed in quickly, “but I don’t want either of you getting fired. It was a long time ago, George is an idiot, all that stuff…” She pulled Arizona into her side, turning the blonde to lean back against her and wrapping an arm around her. “And I’m definitely trading up in the spouse department.”

“Damn right,” Tim agreed with a grin, lifting his glass in a toast, the rest of them holding theirs up at well. “To the brides to be!”

It was a testament to the success of the plan to get her to relax that Arizona didn’t immediately notice that Callie wasn’t at her side after all the toasting and drinking and coming and going from the dance floor. By the time she noticed, Callie wasn’t even at the table. Arizona went stiff as soon as she did notice, breath coming short until she spotted her partner in the middle of the floor, her arms over her head as she danced to the fast beat. And there were probably a dozen people between where she was dancing and where Arizona was sitting at their high top table but Callie’s eyes were on her, her smile just for her.

And then hands slipped across the smooth black fabric covering the Latina’s hips and Arizona’s breath was short for an entirely different reason as Callie’s smirking smile went teasing. She didn’t linger in the touch though, moving away from the hands without missing a beat. Instead, she lowered one arm and crooked two fingers at Arizona, drawing her out of her seat helplessly. Anywhere Callie led, she would follow. Willingly. Even happily, eagerly.

Without bothering to even pretend about her intentions, Arizona slid her own hands across the spot others had touched. It didn’t matter, they didn’t matter. No one in this club had a chance with Calliope Torres, no matter what they tried to touch. Callie was going home with her, was going to be in her bed tonight, and every other night of their lives. Because they were in love, getting married.

“Thinking hard?” Callie’s warm voice cut through her thoughts and she blinked, smiling at her. Instead of answering though, she rose onto her toes and kissed her.

“Not thinking,” murmured Arizona between kisses, words dragging against Callie’s lips. “Dancing. No more thinking, no more talking, not today.” They had tomorrow, and the rest of their lives, to talk.

Callie took another kiss and pressed her in closer, dancing them both to the music without a thought for anyone else in the place. Her whole world was right in front of her, wrapped up safely in her arms, moving against her body. And they were going to be okay. There would undoubtedly be fights, they were both imperfect people, but they loved each other, they would make it work, no matter what.

“Dancing, and then I’m taking you home,” Arizona continued, laughing as Callie spun her suddenly, catching her with her back to the brunette’s front, the Ortho surgeon’s arms snug around her as her kisses found a new target on the side of her neck.

“Yeah?” breathed Callie, her knees behind Arizona’s making them bend as she moved them.

The blonde just nodded. “I’m taking you to bed,” she declared. Her breathing went short when Callie sucked on the skin behind her ear, humming against her. “I’m going to fuck you.”

The statement was gasped out, barely audible through the pulsing beat of the loud music but Callie heard it clearly, moaning against her neck. “That’s enough dancing, don’t you think?” she requested, feeling her knees tremble. “We should go home.”

Arizona couldn’t help a chuckle, grateful for the evidence that she wasn’t the only one of them feeling needy for their connection. “We drove. What about everybody else?”

Scoffing against her neck, Callie nipped at her skin. Her own control was nearing its end. A simple push and she could be okay with sex in a dirty bar bathroom as long as it was soon. Hell, they’d met in a dirty bar and barely made it out the doors before they were having sex the first time. “We live in a major city, Arizona. There are taxis.”

That sounded like impeccable logic if she’d ever heard it and Arizona deliberately ground her ass back into Callie’s hips. Callie had a big thing for her ass and made no apologies for it. Which was fine with her. The strong hands squeezing her sides felt nice. And the abrupt spin and blistering kiss were nice too.

“We are leaving,” Callie declared hoarsely. “Now.” Without waiting for a protest that wasn’t coming, Callie was immediately dragging her fiancée off the dance floor.

Cristina Yang laughed as the pair charged past her, Arizona nearly outpacing Callie instead of letting herself be pulled along meekly. “That’s not going to be a quiet house tonight,” she commented dryly to Meredith, both of them laughing drunkenly a second later.

“Think we should warn Alex?”

Looking at each other and then at the retreating couple, their laughter grew louder. “Nah,” they declared in unison, forgetting all about the other women as the song changed.

*****

This had been one of the longest days of her life, her relationship tested, her life threatened - hell, she’d survived a run in with a rampaging shooter today, but she might die right now if Arizona didn’t let her come. But the blonde seemed content to keep her on the edge, pleading for it.

Back arching, Callie tightened her hand in blonde hair and tugged, not caring if she was making a mess of it. “Arizona, please,” she gasped, not above begging at this point.

The other woman just hummed out her denial and wrapped both arms more fully around trembling thighs while she entertained herself between them. Arizona couldn’t help smiling when she felt a heel kick lightly against her back, Callie’s impatience amusing her. But the begging and moaning was like music to her ears. She wasn’t ready for it to end.

“Please, Arizona,” Callie requested again, shifting her head against the blonde’s head. “Please, I want to see you. I want to look at you when you make me come,” she panted breathlessly, feeling another peak coming at her. And again, Arizona backed it off by withdrawing, though this time she pulled away completely, lifting her head and meeting Callie’s dark, blazing gaze. “Please,” whispered Callie for good measure.

Diving forward, Arizona drove her back against their bed, part of her surprised that they’d reached the bedroom at all, Callie’s fingers still in her hair to pull her down into a kiss. Knowing Callie was tasting herself on her tongue made her lightheaded, but she persevered, fingers sliding home in a single hard thrust that made Callie buck under her. She forced herself to tear away from the kiss, both of them breathing hard. “Don’t close your eyes,” she ordered hoarsely. Her hips backed the next deep plunge, Callie moaning loudly and biting down hard on her lip, but she kept her eyes open, maintaining the contact with deep blue eyes.

Breathing was a harsh gasp, and Callie could feel her eyes burning with the need to blink, squeeze closed. But she didn’t, staring into Arizona’s eyes, dragging fingers through her hair and across her neck, her cheek, brushing a thumb across her bottom lip, hissing when the blonde sucked it between her lips, nipping on the tip of her finger lightly.

“I love you,” Arizona gasped out, feeling her fingers gripped tight inside as Callie’s orgasm became unavoidable, the Latina gasping out her name as she tumbled into oblivion. Coming back slowly, Arizona was stroking her face and hair gently as she caught her breath, smiling hazily. “Hey,” the blonde greeted her softly. “You okay?”

Callie moaned from her chest, the noise screaming satisfaction. “Better than okay,” she confirmed, throwing an arm and leg across Arizona’s body beside her, tucking her face contently in the side of her lover’s neck. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll make you feel good, I promise.”

Arizona smiled but just hummed to herself, trailing fingers through dark hair. She was perfectly happy to spend the night in Callie’s arms. That was enough for her. “No hurry,” she said softly. “We’ve got all the time in the world.”

Moaning her agreement, Callie nuzzled closer, the hand on Arizona’s side moving to drag across the bumps of her ribs under her skin, lingering on one particular spot until the contact made the blonde squirm. “You’re ticklish there?” Callie asked, surprised. “It’s a scar, isn’t it? It’s still sensitive?”

Arizona shook her head against the pillow. “No, not ticklish,” she answered. “Wait, how’d you know I have a scar there?”

A warm chuckle and a soft kiss against her skin were her answer, Callie not lifting her head. “We have been together for a while now,” she reminded her partner. “And this isn’t the first time I’ve seen you naked, thank God.” 

Arizona laughed, twitching against Callie’s soft circles on her side against the patch of roughened scar tissue. “But it’s so little. Most people don’t even notice it.”

“I would hope no one else gets so close to your boobs,” reasoned the Latina dryly, amused. At only a few finger widths below Arizona’s left breast, that left the scar firmly within what she considered her exclusive territory. “But do you seriously think there’s a mark on your body I don’t know?” she asked, tone the same. “Because there’s not.” Callie pecked a kiss to the freckle right below the blonde’s hairline at the back of her neck.

Clearing her throat, Arizona shifted a little against the sheets. The thought of someone, of Callie, memorizing her like that - it was kind of awesome. And now that she was thinking about it, she felt confident she could do the same to Calliope’s body - find every mark, every scar, every blemish. Because she loved every single one of them. “Yeah? Prove it,” she challenged, her voice low.

Callie smiled as she lifted her head, brushing blonde hair back from her face. “Oh, it’s on, babe,” she agreed warmly. “I’ll just start at the top and work my way down, alright?” Arizona just bit her lip and Callie kissed her softly before leaning up on her elbows to move blonde hair aside from the very top of her head.

“You’ve got a little scar here, which is from… a curling iron?” guessed Callie, smoothing her fingers lightly over the tiny smooth scar.

Arizona laughed. Callie leaning over her like this was practically smothering her in breasts but she wasn’t going to complain. “Oh, Calliope, curling iron is your best guess?” she teased, imitating a buzzer sound. “I’m sorry, that’s incorrect. The correct answer is tree branch,” Arizona corrected her, playing up her game show host impression. “I was climbing trees with Tim when we were about eight or nine and wasn’t looking and ran the top of my head into a pointy branch.”

Callie murmured and let the hair fall back into place. “I bet it bled a lot.”

“Oh God, my mom was freaking out,” agreed Arizona with a laugh. “And we were supposed to be inside doing homework so we got grounded for leaving the house too.”

Squeezing her gently, Callie smiled as she moved down her partner’s body. “My little rebel,” she murmured, her loving affection clear in her voice. She dragged her tongue across a thin line under the blonde’s hairline, leading from the back of her neck toward her ear. Callie finished with a light nip of her earlobe. Arizona smelled like smoke and alcohol from the bar, and sex from after the bar, but her skin was soft and smooth and she just couldn’t help herself.

“That one is a curling iron,” said Arizona before she could guess, biting her lip and grinning as Callie’s face popped into view over hers. “That’s all you got?” she challenged, leaning up when Callie kissed her softly.

The brunette just scoffed when the kiss ended, flipping over onto Arizona’s other side and kissing the small scar that had started this endeavor. “This one… it looks a little like road rash, actually.”

“Ding, ding, ding,” Arizona confirmed, laughing.

Callie’s head came up quickly, brows furrowed. “What? Really? What happened? Did you have a motorcycle and never tell me? Because that would be kind of hot…” She swallowed, licking her lips unconsciously. “Kind of really hot,” she corrected herself slowly.

Laughing, Arizona combed her fingers through dark hair. “Good to know, but no, it was Tim’s dirt bike and I was eleven.”

“Okay, so more cute than hot, but it seems like Tim got you hurt a lot,” observed Callie dryly, circling the mark with her fingertips.

“Well, technically, I took the dirt bike without asking,” Arizona confessed, giggling.

Callie shook her head, laughing herself. She palmed Arizona’s side, sliding her hand back and forth across her flesh. She could touch her forever. “You were quite the little delinquent, weren’t you? How have I never heard these stories before? I need to call and ask your mom for some more - they sound like good dirt.”

Smacking a hand to a bare side, Arizona’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare! My mom actually never found out about that one and she would kill me.”

“You know you’re an adult, right?” Callie teased. “You could get a motorcycle of your very own now.” She abruptly shook her head, expression going serious as her hand tightened against the blonde’s side. After everything that had happened today, she couldn’t contemplate not being in this bed with Arizona. “Except that you cannot get a motorcycle,” she declared flatly. “Because drivers in this city don’t look where they’re going and I will not have some idiot running you over.”

Arizona nodded without argument. “Okay. No motorcycle,” she agreed mildly. She wouldn’t do anything to take herself away from Callie, even if Tim’s dirt bike hadn’t put her off the idea long before. She could handle her heelies, but had no desire for anything larger.

Callie’s smile was back immediately. “Okay, then, let’s keep going, shall we?” Flipping Arizona’s arm over, she kissed a pale mark on the inside of her forearm, studying the scar carefully. “I’m going to guess burn from an oven.”

“Correct,” confirmed the blonde with a laugh. “I worked in a pizza shop during undergrad. That was the one and only time I burned myself, though.”

Callie’s lips quirked against the mark and she dragged her mouth down to kiss Arizona’s palm. “Nothing here,” she declared happily, shifting back to Arizona’s torso, dropping kisses down her stomach and the tops of her thighs, alternating sides as she worked her way down, saying every time, “Not here, or here.” Arizona squirmed under the attention but didn’t say anything as Callie bypassed her knees and continued down the length of her leg. “One here,” Callie said, picking up her right foot and rubbing a thumb across the back of her heel. “What’s the story here? The wheelie shoes?”

Arizona bit the inside of her lip, though she couldn’t hide a smile. “No,” she scoffed. “It was actually a pair of really terrible shoes once when I was a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding.”

Grimacing in sympathy, Callie rubbed the thin line. “Those must have been some killer shoes. Yikes.”

The blonde leaned up on her elbows, meeting her partner’s eyes with a smile. “So, head to toe. Are you done?” There had been one scar missed but she’d been impressed with her partner’s recollection.

Callie gave her a smirk, kissing the inside of her ankle. “Arizona, I’ve put your legs over my shoulders how many times and you still think I would miss one? The scar on the back of your left knee. It’s shaped like a capital ‘L’ and I honestly have no clue what it could be from.”

“It’s another burn, but this one is from a weedeater motor,” explained Arizona. “Me and Tim, to make money during the summer, we used to do yard work for the officers in the base housing and our weedeater didn’t actually have a cover on the motor and I burned the back of my leg.”

Moving up the bed, Callie pulled Arizona’s leg over her shoulder more, turning her head to get a look at the mark. “You and Tim got hurt a lot,” she observed, kissing the inside of her knee and moving up her leg slowly, hearing the blonde’s breathing grow short with every inch of skin she covered. “Personally, I think you’re much safer with me.”

Arizona laughed, leaning back on her elbows as Callie’s hair tickled the inside of her leg. The brunette gave no sign that she was moving from her spot, apparently content to lay there with Arizona’s leg over her shoulder. “Oh, I’m sure that’s true. I wouldn’t hate it if you stayed a little safer, though.”

Callie’s head cocked at the unexpected serious mention of the day’s events, but just shifted up slightly. “Do you know what’s here?” she asked, poking one finger deliberately to a spot right where leg became something else entirely.

Blinking at her and trying to fight a sudden blush, Arizona’s mouth fell open. “Um, yeah?” She laughed and Callie felt her heart beat faster. She loved to make Arizona laugh.

“I don’t think you do,” hummed Callie, dipping her head to kiss the crease. “It’s my favorite mark on you.”

Blonde brows furrowed. “I don’t have a scar there.”

“I didn’t say it was a scar. I said a mark,” the Latina clarified. “You have a freckle right here,” she said, indicating the spot with her finger again, deliberately tickling this time with a fingernail. It got her more laughter, the blonde’s hips bucking beyond her control.

“I guess I know why it’s your favorite,” Arizona said a bit breathlessly as Callie dragged her nail over the spot again.

“No, I don’t think you do,” objected Callie with a smile. “It’s not about placement.” Dropping her head, Callie took a long, deliberate lick of Arizona’s pussy, smacking her lips as she surfaced. “Someone’s wet,” she noticed, voice gone husky. As fun as teasing was, she was going to have to do something about that. “This freckle is my favorite because it’s kind of shaped like a lopsided heart,” she explained, having Arizona on her tongue tempering her desire to drag this out and setting her on fire for more of her lover. “It reminds me of our necklaces.”

Blue eyes had gone dark but her expression softened and she reached one hand up to Callie’s hair, stroking softly. “Oh, Calliope, that is so sw-eet!” Her voice abruptly went up in pitch as Callie’s tongue went back to work on her without warning. At that moment, though, she couldn’t care less if anyone else was home to hear Callie make her squeak. She didn’t care if anyone heard Callie make her moan either. And when it happened, she didn’t care the littlest bit if anyone heard Callie make her scream.


	12. Chapter 12

Coffee in Arizona’s brightly colored cups had become a standard thing with them, and Callie looked up with a smile already on her lips when one of the cups was planted in front of the chart she was reading at the nurses’ station. “Hey, baby,” she greeted her warmly, leaning up from her seat to steal a quick kiss.

“Hey.” Arizona gave her a completely adorable dimpled grin and bobbed her eyebrows. “How’s your morning going?” She leaned against the counter, heels rolling back and forth on her wheels.

Callie just shot her a look, eyebrow arching. “I know you’re on those ridiculous shoes over there,” she said. “And my morning is going fine until you break your ass.”

“I’m not going to break my ass, Calliope,” Arizona denied immediately. “I’m awesome!”

Laughing, Callie took a sip of her coffee as she went back to her chart. She heard the elevator arrive and someone approach the desk, but she turned her chair to get better light to inspect one of the x-rays in her case. The voice she heard greeting Arizona made her tense, though. “Excuse me, I’m looking for Dr. O’Malley or Dr. Torres. You wouldn’t happen to know where they are, would you? This place is so big, and I’m scared I’d get lost…”

Arizona just smiled personably, Callie turning on her chair even as the blonde gestured to her. “Dr. Torres, you have someone here to see you.” The look on Callie’s face was shocked and Arizona glanced beside her at the older woman, confused. “Callie…?”

“Mrs. O’Malley,” Callie greeted her guest as she stood up. She wasn’t sure how she managed it, her legs felt completely nerveless.

“Oh, Callie, there you are!” Mrs. O’Malley was around the counter in a flash and pulled Callie into a hug, the Latina giving her fiancée a thoroughly confused look, shaking her head. “How are you, dear? I can never get Georgie on the phone since you two moved here! And it’s so much closer than Miami, you’d think I’d be able to get a visit every once in a while!”

Figuring out what was happening, who the woman hugging Callie was, Arizona tried to decide whether she should be upset or sympathetic. Because this poor woman clearly had no idea what had happened between her son and Callie.

Pulling out of the hug, Mrs. O’Malley eagerly rooted through her large handbag and scooped out a colorful scrap of knitted wool that shook out to become a green onesie. “And I hope it’s not too presumptuous to hope there might be some use for this soon,” she coaxed.

That was the cue for Arizona’s much touted skill with her favorite shoes to abandon her, her arms pin wheeling wildly while her wheeled heels shot forward and landed her flat on her back hard, her head hitting the floor sharply a split second later.

“Arizona!” Callie was around her ex-mother-in-law in a heartbeat, one hand on the blonde’s chest keeping her from getting up. “Don’t move,” she ordered when Arizona started trying to sit up. “You hit your head.”

Groaning, Arizona reached behind her head with one hand, tentatively searching for blood in her hair. “I’m not bleeding.”

“What happened to ‘I won’t break my ass, Calliope?’” Callie questioned, mimicking her partner’s voice mockingly.

Arizona groaned again. “My voice does not sound like that,” she whined, grumbling.

“Sit up slowly,” Callie coached, grimacing in sympathy when Arizona groaned. “How’s your butt?”

“You know. It’s awesome…”

Brown eyes rolled. “It is awesome, but is it also broken?” Callie was suddenly having flashbacks to the recalcitrant patient Arizona had been when she’d been after the car accident.

Before she could figure out if it was or not, Mrs. O’Malley was leaning over Callie’s shoulder and apologizing. “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

Gesturing to a nurse, Callie got Arizona up gingerly, pulling Arizona’s arm around her shoulders. “Lean on me. It’s okay.” Arizona hissed painfully as she was lowered into a wheelchair. “Take her up to Radiology. I want a head CT and x-ray her hips. I want to make sure the coccyx isn’t broken.”

Protesting, Arizona grabbed her sleeve, the long sleeves of her t-shirt extending below the rolled sleeves of her lab coat. “Calliope, it’s not-”

“Oh, no, you’re going to CT and you’re going to cooperate,” Callie ordered sternly, giving the nurse a nod. “I’ll be up in a few minutes to check on the scans.” Leaning over, she dropped a kiss to the top of Arizona’s blonde head. “Be good for the nurses,” she requested, voice soft. The nurses loved Arizona.

Watching Arizona wheel toward the elevators, Callie only remembered Mrs. O’Malley’s presence when the older woman sidled up beside her. “Is your friend going to be alright? I don’t even know what happened. I’m so sorry I knocked her over. This bag is so big, sometimes I don’t know where it’s swinging.”

“Oh, no,” Callie sighed to herself, turning to face her. The other woman was still holding her homemade baby clothes. “Mrs. O’Malley, when, exactly, was the last time you talked to George?”

“It’s been a few weeks, I suppose. Why? Is something going on?”

She and George had been separated for more than a year and a half, their divorce signed and sealed for at least eight months. Why his mother was still in the dark about it was a mystery to her. They’d been getting along with each other since he’d finally signed the papers and decided to stay in Seattle, but if he’d really not told his mother about the divorce, she was going to kill him. Leaving this for her to do was completely unacceptable.

“Let me page George for you,” Callie suggested, rounding the counter again to grab the phone, dialing her ex-husband’s extension and hanging it up. The older woman looked confused and curious but there was no way Callie was going to speak up and explain. “How have the boys been?” George’s brothers had always loved her.

“The boys are good. They’re in Alaska, fishing, so I thought I’d use the break to visit you and Georgie,” Mrs. O’Malley explained, still uncertain what Callie wasn’t saying. “Dear…”

Before she could say anything more, George appeared from the elevator, drawing up short at the sight of his mother and Callie standing together at the lobby’s nurses’ station. Callie’s expression was clearly furious. “Oh crap…”

“Yeah…” Callie agreed slowly, arms crossing her chest as she moved forward to talk to him out of earshot of Mrs. O’Malley. “You can deal with this, right? Because I’ve got to go check on Arizona up in CT.”

He frowned. “Arizona? Is she okay?”

Callie couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “She had a little tumble on those stupid shoes she loves. I made the nurse take her up for a scan because she hit her head and busted her butt.”

“Glad she’s okay,” he said genuinely, the pair of them exchanging glances. “I hope I’m okay after this…”

Sighing, Callie glanced over her shoulder at Mrs. O’Malley. “We’ve been broken up for more than two years, George,” she said, starting to feel freshly frustrated at him. “How could you not tell her?”

His shoulders slumped as he saw his mother watching them. “I’m sorry, Callie.”

“Just fix it. Because Arizona and I are getting married and I’m tried of this stuff still getting in our way,” she told him, getting a tiny thrill at watching his eyes go wide. They’d been engaged for six months and had told their friends at the hospital, but George O’Malley wasn’t on that list.

“You’re getting married? Oh my God!” Callie just eyed him, trying to read his expression. “Hey, I’m happy for you,” he promised earnestly. “Would it be weird if I hugged you?” he checked before he tried it.

Callie grimaced, shaking her head. “Yeah, a little bit.” She nodded toward the counter behind her. “Just take care of this, okay?” She sighed, taking another look at Mrs. O’Malley. She was genuinely fond of the O’Malley matriarch, had spent a lot of time with her when George’s father had been hospitalized before his death. She knew she would be devastated to learn that they’d broken up. But there was no one to blame for their divorce. Callie had blamed George, blamed Izzie, but she knew that the marriage was a mistake. Nothing could have stopped them breaking up. And she’d found Arizona. She had no regrets about their divorce.

“I didn’t want to hurt her,” George confessed quietly.

“Me neither.” Callie’s gaze shifted to him. “But she can’t keep thinking we’re together. She’s making us baby clothes.” George grimaced. “Just be honest. That’s all we can do.”

He nodded, taking a deep breath. “Yeah, thanks, Callie. You go.”

She left him behind with a glance over her shoulder, pushing the button for the Radiology floor. Arizona was being wheeled out as she reached the imaging chamber and Callie took over pushing her into the observation room to check the monitors. “Anything?” she questioned the tech.

“She’s clean. No bleeds,” he said, bored.

“Can I get out of this wheelchair now?” Arizona requested impatiently.

Callie flatly answered, “No.”

“My butt feels better!” protested the blonde, standing up despite the sharp look her fiancée sent her. “Come on,” she prompted, dragging Callie out of the booth by the hand. “You can check it for me later,” she promised breathily, wisely lowering her voice to avoid being overheard. In spite of her reassurance, she was still walking slowly, working a limp out of her limbs. “So…”

“You can ask,” Callie told her, rolling her eyes at the attempt at veiled curiosity.

“How’s your mother-in-law?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t talked to your mom this week,” Callie answered her with a smirk.

Arizona laughed, lacing their fingers. “Okay, I’ll admit it, nicely done, Calliope. How’s your former mother-in-law?”

“Aside from being completely unaware that I divorced her son, she’s fine,” Callie said with a sigh. “But she’s going to be heartbroken.”

Arizona studied her features as they walked, pulling on Callie’s arm as she leaned up to kiss her cheek. “I’m sorry. Really.”

“George should have told her after I left. It’s going to hurt her.” She shook off the morose expression, pressing the button to summon the elevator. “But it’s George’s problem now. You’re the one I have to worry about.”

“I’m fine, Calliope. So maybe I walk funny for a few days.” She grinned wickedly, dimples deepening as she shot a look sideways at her lover. “That isn’t the first time that’s happened.”

Callie had to bite her lip, her eyes dutifully facing forward. “You…” Arizona had a flirty streak a mile wide. She loved it. “Just wait until I get you home,” she said promisingly. The elevator they were waiting on arrived and she ushered Arizona in. The blonde made no protest as Callie crowded her into the wall, voice dropping as she boxed her lover in. “I’ll want to make sure your butt stays good.”

“Oh, Calliope, you know my butt is fine,” Arizona answered, her own tone teasing. “You love my butt.”

“I do,” Callie whispered. “I really, really do. And you’re being much too naughty for work.”

Arizona just laughed. “You’re the one holding me up against the wall.”

“When do you get off?”

Grinning at the unintentional phrasing, Arizona stole a kiss as they both heard the elevator slow down and Callie took a step back. They were a happily engaged couple (who just happened to be flirting like teenagers), but they were still at work. “Hopefully about fifteen minutes after you get home.”

Callie gave her a glare, forcing her lungs to draw in a deep breath and hold it. This woman was going to be the death of her. “Arizona…”

“My last surgery should get done by four,” Arizona had pity on her, answering her normally as a few nurses filed onto the elevator and it started moving up again.

“I’ve got some research to do in the lab, but I’ll meet you in the locker room? We can ride home together.”

Arizona just scoffed. “I think you mean I’ll come get you from the lab,” she corrected her with a cheerful grin as the elevator stopped on the next floor, holding the door open for their fellow passengers to vacate the car. “You always lose track of time in there.”

“I’m making cartilage from jell-o!” Callie offered defensively.

“And that’s admirable, but I’m sure I can manage to distract you,” promised the perky surgeon as she let the door go and pulled the stop button, surprising Callie. The smile slid down to become a serious, earnest expression.

“What? Are you okay?” asked Callie, her concern immediate. “How’s your head? Does it hurt?”

Arizona caught her hands when she reached for her, the blonde kissing the back of her hand. “That’s what I was going to ask you,” she said softly. “How are you? I know seeing George’s mother can’t be easy for you…”

Blinking in surprise, Callie’s brow furrowed as she grew confused. She hadn’t even thought twice about the situation going on down on the second floor. Arizona was her priority. “What? Arizona…”

“It has to be hard, that’s all I’m saying,” Arizona interjected. “And if you need to talk…”

Callie smiled abruptly, freeing one hand to cup her partner’s cheek, stepping close to her. “I’m okay,” she said. “Really. I don’t have anything left to say about George. But if I need to talk, you are the person I will talk to,” she promised. “Do you think I’m hiding something from you?”

“No,” said Arizona immediately, shaking her head. “Not at all.” She smiled against Callie’s thumb as it brushed across her lips. “I do think there are things we don’t talk about much, though.”

A frown creased the brunette’s brow. She was under the impression that they talked about everything. And honestly. It was refreshing, freeing, knowing that she could tell Arizona anything without being afraid or judged. “Such as?”

Arizona took a deep breath, able to feel her head pounding. “Like your parents,” she answered. 

Callie blinked again. This was an unexpected change of subject. They didn’t talk about her parents because most days, aside from a single stab of occasional regret that they couldn’t get past themselves to be her parents, she didn’t think about her parents. “What? Arizona, I honestly don’t think about them. It’s been a long time, it’s not something that bothers me…”

“Do they know you’re getting married?” Arizona interjected, her tone unintentionally short. A deep breath and she softened. She never wanted to hurt Callie, with anything. Her only instinct was to protect her, take care of her, and support her as much as Callie would let her. But this, the issue of her contrary parents was something she wasn’t sure how to protect her from or take care of. So she just hoped to be supportive.

Callie’s shocked expression was back on her face, bottom lip falling open. “Do they know we’re getting married?” she echoed. “No. They don’t know.” Chewing on her bottom lip, Callie met her eyes, seeing the concern, the love there. “When would I have told them?”

“Do you want to tell them?” asked Arizona softly, not sure how much of a push was too much. Her parents had been wonderful, supportive and loving and loyal. And she was grateful to them every day for that. She wanted to be that for Callie if she needed it.

Dark eyes studied her face, sliding over every detail. “Do you want me to tell them?” countered Callie, her own voice gentle. “Because I’ll tell them that I’m marrying you. I am not ashamed…”

“I don’t think that, Calliope…” Arizona denied instantly.

“I know you don’t,” Callie smiled, “I don’t care what my parents think, I don’t care if they’re there…”

“You don’t want your dad at your wedding?” She didn’t believe that for a second. Callie had grown up traditional, Catholic. There was no way she hadn’t dreamed about her father walking her down the aisle. And to have two weddings where that hadn’t happened…? She couldn’t believe that didn’t bother her partner.

Both hands framed the blonde’s face and Callie leaned in, kissing her softly, almost chastely, instead of answering immediately. “The only thing I care about is that you’re the one waiting for me at the end of the aisle,” she whispered, smoothing her thumbs under blue eyes. She could live in those eyes. And she lived for them. “Okay? If it really bugs you, I swear I will think about talking to my parents, but you don’t have to worry about me. As long as you’re there, that’s all I need.”

Nodding, Arizona considered her for a long moment and snaked one hand around her to push the stop button back into place and start the car moving again. “Okay. Just promise me…”

“If I need to talk, or decide to call them, you’re the one I’m coming to,” Callie agreed before she could finish the request, taking another kiss and smiling. The doors dinged before they opened and Callie stepped back slowly, freeing Arizona from the wall again.

A dimpled smile made Callie smile and the blonde bumped her with an elbow, resuming their playful atmosphere. “So, I’ll come by the lab and pick you up?” she checked.

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Callie said, tucking her hands in the pockets of her lab coat as Arizona winked and kicked off on her wheels. Callie had to bite back a rebuke at the sight, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She loved that woman the most.


	13. Chapter 13

Just as Arizona had anticipated, Callie completely lost track of time, only looking up from her microscope when Arizona knocked lightly on the doorframe. “You look hot being all studious like that,” she commented, smiling across the room at her.

Arizona was looking pretty good herself, in Callie’s humble opinion. She’d ditched her scrubs for clingy jeans and a sky blue button-down with the sleeves rolled up, while her wavy hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. “Look who’s talking.” Callie stood up to greet her with a kiss, glad when Arizona stretched it out well beyond the scope of a normal greeting kiss. “Mmh, you miss me?” Callie questioned in a hum, wrapping both arms around her fiancée’s hips and lightly palming her butt.

“Always. You checking on my ass?” Arizona teased, smirking and doing nothing to remove the hands from her backside.

Callie nodded, faking earnestness. “I have a vested interest - as your doctor and your fiancée.” Arizona laughed happily and Callie obliged her with a smile before she leaned in to catch her eyes. “Seriously, though. You feel okay? No dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea?”

“No ma’am, Dr. Torres,” Arizona dutifully reported even as she rolled her eyes. She’d had a headache for about an hour after the fall, but Karev had enough hangovers that he kept ibuprofen at hand to take the edge off and he’d surrendered some to her when she’d ordered him to. And telling Callie that her head had hurt would just end up with her back in CT. “I’m fine, Calliope…” She snatched a pecking kiss. “But I expect you’ll want to thoroughly check everything for yourself when we get home,” she prompted, resuming their flirting.

Callie’s eyes darkened at the thought. “Definitely,” she agreed, voice slightly hoarse.

Leaving the lab, Arizona wound their fingers together, resuming holding her hand after Callie had changed into her own street clothes. Coming off the elevators though, Callie stopped suddenly, dragging Arizona to an awkward halt. Searching for a reason for the sudden pause, Arizona spotted Mrs. O’Malley in the row of chairs that lined the wall, her sad eyes already on them.

“Calliope, do you want to talk to her?” Arizona offered. “She was important to you, even if you and George didn’t work out.” And she refused to be the jealous partner that resented Callie trying to have a conversation with her past. Callie’s head turned to look at her, searching her face for any trace of disingenuousness. “Really,” prompted Arizona, giving her a little push. If Callie didn’t want to talk to or about her parents, that was fine. But this was something she clearly wanted, maybe needed, to do. She wasn’t going to stand in her way, just support her however she could.

“You don’t mind?”

Arizona just shook her head. “I’m going to get us some coffees.” She grinned widely. “And a doughnut for myself.”

“A treat for busting your ass?” Callie teased, laughing when Arizona immediately went grumpy. She was marrying the cutest woman alive. Sometimes it still surprised her that she’d fallen for someone so bright and shiny. But Arizona was amazing, stunning, even awesome. She loved everything about her. And she knew that she was damn lucky to have her.

“No bear claw for you, then!” She did accept Callie’s apologetic pinch on her butt though, shooting her a grin over her shoulder as she turned around to go to the coffee cart.

Mrs. O’Malley was already on her feet when Callie turned back to her, the surgeon’s smile fading slowly as she moved closer. “Mrs. O’Malley, I’m so sorry that George never told you. I thought he had.”

“What happened to you two?” she pleaded almost desperately for answers, an explanation. “You were happy once!”

Callie sighed. “I wish we had been. But George was suffering and I was there.” The older woman flinched and Callie felt her heart break with sympathy. “He’d just lost his dad and we’d just started dating, and I was crazy about him. But we made a mistake when we got married. We were never going to last, even if he hadn’t slept with Izzie. And we never meant to hurt you.” She thought of how things had fallen apart, how her life had come back together in Seattle. Arizona. Alex and Teddy and Tim and all of their friends. Her dream job. “But I think we’re both happier now. I know I am.” Her smile was tinged with sadness. “George and I don’t talk much anymore, but I genuinely hope he is. Izzie’s still here, so they’re probably happy.”

“Izzie is not his wife,” Mama O’Malley declared. “In God’s eyes, you are his wife, Callie.” She picked up Callie’s left hand suddenly, gesturing to the ring on her finger, Arizona’s ring. “You still wear your ring.”

Looking down at her hand, she had to fight back a hoarse laugh. The ring George had given her was a pittance, bought last minute on the Vegas strip before they’d gone into a cheesy theme chapel and let an Elvis impersonator marry them. The ring she was wearing now was aesthetically more beautiful, but it also held more meaning for her. Because Arizona’s proposal, even blurted and spontaneous as it was, meant more to her than her relationship with George had. Her life, her future with Arizona, was symbolized in the ring she wore on her finger. In the short time she’d worn it, George’s ring had always felt more like a reminder - oh, yes, they had actually gone to Vegas on a pathetic whim and gotten married.

Clearing her throat, Callie shook her head, still looking at her ring. “I gave George that ring back before I left Miami,” she said gently, not sure how to break this woman’s heart again. Because she knew it would. “I’m engaged.” And the O’Malleys (like the Torres) were Catholic. Nothing about this would be acceptable to her. Not George’s infidelity, not their divorce, and definitely not her relationship with another woman.

The older woman’s eyes went wide and she swallowed. “Callie…”

“Mrs. O’Malley, I’m sorry. And I loved being an O’Malley for a little while, but I’m happy now. For the first time, really. I’m really, really happy. But I understand if you can’t be happy for me. Really, I do.”

“Does Georgie know?” She was clearly surprised.

Callie fought back a smile as she remembered her ex’s reaction from that very morning. “Yes, he does.” George wasn’t the person she ran to talk to anymore, but she was still glad that he knew. It had taken so long for him to let her move on, but she was happy now. So, so happy.

“Who is he? Is he someone you met here?”

Callie took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself. She’d come out to her parents, her friends, but this was something else entirely. She didn’t know how to do this. “Well…”

“Calliope…” Arizona’s voice interrupted her.

Smiling hesitantly, Mrs. O’Malley looked around Callie at the new arrival. “You’re Callie’s friend from this morning. I knocked you over. Are you feeling okay, dear?” She was genuinely concerned and Callie glanced between them. Mama O’Malley had always been such a sweetheart.

“Mrs. O’Malley, this is… Dr. Robbins,” Callie introduced them awkwardly, suddenly unbelievably nervous. And the cock of Arizona’s eyebrows hinted that she might have just messed it up. Damn it.

Arizona just smiled, a look that was simply polite to someone who didn’t know her well. Which Callie did. She was definitely going to be in trouble when they got home. “Mrs. O’Malley, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m so sorry we didn’t get to officially meet this morning,” Arizona said sweetly, offering her hand.

“Nice to meet you too. I’m so glad you’re alright. I didn’t mean to hit you with my bag like that.”

“Oh, no, it wasn’t your fault…”

“She has wheels on her shoes,” Callie chimed in without thinking, Arizona shooting a narrow look at her. Foot, meet mouth. So much for trying to get herself out of trouble.

Arizona cleared her throat pointedly and the blonde nodded to Mrs. O’Malley. “The kids like my shoes!” she said a bit defensively. “But it really wasn’t your fault.”

Without prompting, Mrs. O’Malley noted the tray with two coffees in Arizona’s other hand, a pastry bag wedged carefully between the two cups. “I don’t want to keep you girls from anything,” she said, though it clearly made her sad to let Callie go. There was nothing more Callie could do to help her. She wasn’t going to get back together with George. She could explain about Arizona, but it would only hurt the older woman.

“It was nice to meet you, Mrs. O’Malley,” Arizona offered politely. “Dr. Torres…” She didn’t look back, just turned on her heel (non wheeled for once) and left Callie looking after her.

Turning to follow her, Callie grimaced. She was definitely up shit creek. Damn it. Quickstepping, she caught the blonde’s free hand before she made it out the door, trotting to keep up with her. “Arizona, babe, come on…”

“Oh, did you need something, Dr. Torres?” The blonde disengaged their hands to get the car keys out of her purse, Callie falling a few steps behind her in disappointed surprise.

Arizona couldn’t help smirking when she heard Callie mutter, “Damn it, George,” under her breath. She wasn’t really mad, but Callie was making this way too easy. Callie sulked in the car the whole way home, sneaking quick glances at her when she thought she wouldn’t notice, keeping her fringe of dark hair in front of her eyes. All Arizona had to do was keep quiet, Callie was doing the rest herself.

Callie was grumbling when Arizona went straight past Tim and Alex watching basketball on the couch and into the kitchen, the two men looking left to watch Arizona leave and then right to look at Callie lingering just inside the front door.

“Dude, what did you do?” Alex asked curiously, already grinning. His smile didn’t slip when she glared at him.

“Shut it, Karev.”

Tim leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Did something happen?” He looked more concerned than Alex did, but still curious and intrigued. It was rare to see them short or angry with each other.

Callie sighed, shaking her head. “I, my, George’s mother, my ex-mother-in-law, came by the hospital and ran into us this morning. And I’ve kind of constantly been putting my foot in it all day since then…” She bit her lip, catching a glimpse of Arizona moving through the open kitchen door. “I think she’s mad at me.”

“She didn’t look mad,” Tim offered supportively while Alex just stifled his laughs into ill-disguised coughs.

Brown eyes rolled. “She’s calling me ‘Dr. Torres,’” she admitted, discouraged.

Tim grimaced, conceding, “Yeah, she might be mad at you…”

“I’ll try and remember to clean the crumbs off the couch for you after the game,” offered Alex mockingly.

Callie growled at him and Tim leaned back in case she felt the need to dive over him at Karev. There was no way she was going to sleep on the couch over this. Hell no. She’d go back to the hospital and find Mrs. O’Malley and tell her straight out who Arizona was to her before she’d sleep alone tonight.

But first…

Arizona was at the sink when Callie slipped into the kitchen and kicked the doorstop out of the way so the door swung closed behind her, the blonde’s back to the rest of the room, but Callie kept her distance, not sure the reaction she’d get if she went to touch her. “I really did well today, didn’t I?” she mused, moving forward slowly but keeping the kitchen island between them. “Arizona, I’m sorry. I love you. More than anything, I love you. And I should have told Mrs. O’Malley who you are to me. Because I am going to marry you. But I don’t know how to say, ‘oh, hey, not only did I divorce your son, but I’m also into girls, and this is my fiancée and the love of my life,’ and not break her heart worse than I already did…”

Arizona turned slowly and leaned back against the sink, not bothering to hide a smile. Callie wanted to present a hardcore, badass persona, but really could be too sweet. But she wasn’t looking at Arizona, speaking instead to the countertop between them. “Calliope, you don’t have to apologize to me,” she said.

Callie’s head came up to lock eyes with her. “But I didn’t - I should have…”

“It’s okay.”

Blinking, Callie kept her cautious distance. “Really? Because you seemed kind of pissed.”

“I was trying to be funny…”

“Well, then you suck at jokes…”

“Hey, listen. Coming out is important. It’s everything. With your family, with your friends. And I know the family thing is rough for you, but if you tried to hide me from them, I’d kick your ass.” Callie couldn’t help a smile, biting her lip. She couldn’t hide how she felt about Arizona even if she wanted to. “But coming out to your ex-husband’s extremely Catholic mom? Not necessary. Not for you. And certainly not for me! So, it’s okay.”

Callie let out a big breath of relief and smiled. “Thank you.”

Nodding, Arizona smirked. “I do not suck at jokes…” Callie took a few slow steps toward her, drawn in like moth to flame. Arizona was like gravity - everything in her called to Callie, pulled her in. “And you do not glance as sneakily as you like to think you do, Calliope.” She shifted against the counter as Callie moved in closer, wincing as the edge hit her still-bruised butt.

Noticing the flinch, Callie slid both hands across her lover’s hips and down the outsides of her thighs. “It still hurts?” she asked considerately.

Arizona shrugged. Nothing much hurt when Callie looked at her like that. “I just hit it on the corner. No big.”

Strong hands slipped around the back of her legs, Callie bending her knees slightly to lift Arizona to the counter behind her, the blonde unable to hold back a squeak at the sudden movement. “Okay?” Callie checked, her own stomach pressing against the counter as she pushed forward into the space between Arizona’s opening knees.

“Of course,” Arizona agreed as if it was a stupid question, which it was. Just to emphasize her answer, she curled her calves around Callie’s hips. “I like being up here. It makes me taller than you.” Both hands rose to trace through long, dark waves of hair, smiling when it drew a moan from Callie, the Latina leaning her head into the contact.

Callie considered her own viewpoint, the height advantage putting her at eyelevel with Arizona’s chest. Which was okay with her. “And the view is pretty spectacular from where I’m standing too,” she agreed, leaning in to pop the top two buttons of Arizona’s shirt with her teeth. “Even better now.”

“Oh, you’re an evil woman!” Arizona said, feeling a bit breathless as Callie’s face buried itself in her chest, hands on her hips pulling her to the edge of the countertop to bring them even closer.

Callie lifted her lips from skin only enough to speak, her breath warm and wet inside Arizona’s shirt. “How’s that? I’ve got my face in your cleavage.” She emphasized her words with a slow lick of the valley between Arizona’s breasts, silently cursing her lover’s bra keeping her from coveted skin.

“But we still have clothes on!”

Callie pulled back at that, ignoring her lover’s whining protest. “Not everything is about getting you naked, Arizona,” she said, sounding much too amused for Arizona’s taste.

“Well it should be!”

Callie stood up on her toes to kiss her, not used to having to do so to get to Arizona’s lips. She liked their usual height difference, but this was fun too. And provided her with plenty of options, her hands sliding over the jeans covering the blonde’s taut thighs. Anytime Arizona’s legs were around her was a victory for her. And the easy access to breasts was very nice too. Arizona’s hands in her hair gave a gentle tug, drawing her mind back to the pleasurable pursuit she was engaged in, kissing Arizona soundly, and away from her mental plans for the playground of her lover’s body.

“Calliope…” Arizona gasped into the kiss, nipping her bottom lip as she went into the next series of deep, slow kisses. “Hands…”

Realizing that she was groping a breast through Arizona’s shirt, Callie laughed but didn’t remove her hand. The other was dangerously high on Arizona’s thigh and she found herself agreeing with Arizona’s earlier complaint - everything should be about getting her naked. Because if she didn’t touch some skin soon, she was going to burst. And not in the good way.

Slowing it down, Callie withdrew slightly, fingers tightening in her hair to keep her from moving too far away. “You have beautiful hair, Calliope,” Arizona murmured, running her fingers through the thick, soft locks. A hand under her jaw lifted Callie’s face to hers, the seated woman leaning in to kiss her again softly. “You’re so beautiful.”

Callie chuckled against her lips. “I thought I was the one who was supposed to be sucking up.”

“You know I love when you suck up, but we are in the kitchen.” It was clear from her tone that Arizona wasn’t talking about making up for her earlier flub but doing something else entirely. “And Tim and Alex are right in the other room…”

“It’s March Madness,” Callie pointed out hopefully. “The game just started. I’m sure the boys’ll be busy for a while.” She arched an eyebrow and smirked. “As long as you can be quiet.” Her fingers were already hooked in the front of Arizona’s jeans, flipping her belt buckle open and tugging her even closer to the edge of the counter.

Arizona just grinned, legs keeping Callie close even as the brunette endeavored to get her pants open. Unfortunately for them both, no matter how quiet they were managing to stay, Alex ran out of beer before the first half was over. And the sound of his sister’s yell, which would have normally brought him running to her defense, made Tim Robbins, decorated Marine and war hero, curl his knees to his chest and stuff fingers in both of his ears. He steadfastly refused to meet a hastily returning Alex’s eyes. And neither one of them turned their heads from the television when the stopper at the base of the kitchen’s swinging door flipped into place, just turned up the volume on the TV.

“What happened to it being March Whatever, Calliope?!” Arizona hissed as she slid down off the counter and tried to jerk her jeans back up her legs. Her face was flushed, beet red in a mixture of intense arousal and embarrassment. She’d been so freaking close!

Callie was there before she succeeded, smirking as she heard the buzzer of the game through the closed kitchen door. Both hands slid into the gap at the back of Arizona’s pants, curling around the backs of bare thighs. “It’s still going. And I don’t think Alex will be thirsty anytime soon,” she mused, walking them back toward the kitchen table.

Arizona jumped when she felt the warm wood on her ass. “Calliope, no,” she denied her halfheartedly. She was still so close… “They’re right in there… How would you feel if Alex Karev saw me with no pants on?” She knew he couldn’t possibly have seen anything a minute ago, he’d only been in the door for a split second and Callie’s head buried in there pretty effectively hid the important bits.

Cocking her head, Callie leaned in slowly. “He’d die very quickly, but very happy,” she promised teasingly, the threat breathed onto her lover’s lips.

“We could just go upstairs…” Arizona suggested, swallowing hard and taking a hard kiss in spite of her own protests. Callie resumed pushing her jeans down again, taking the kiss as a sign of imminent capitulation. Arizona just leaned back on her hands and breathed hard as Callie’s kisses left her lips to trail down the open collar of her shirt. Below her breasts, a few buttons were still hanging in there but Callie popped them open on her way back down. Maybe it wouldn’t be too embarrassing if they could finish this quickly and retreat upstairs in humiliation… “Hurry, baby,” she pleaded.

Callie dropped to her knees in no apparent rush, nuzzling in between her lover’s thighs. “This is better. The countertop is just a little too high. I had to kneel weird,” she noted almost conversationally. The table was the perfect height for her on her knees.

“Calliope…”

An eyebrow rose slowly and full lips smirked. “You’re not getting off that easy, Arizona,” she promised. “Basketball games last a few hours at least,” blue eyes went wide and Callie couldn’t resist licking her lips, “How long can you last?”

“Calliope,” Arizona whimpered again, though she was pleading for something else now. She needed Callie’s mouth on her now or she was going to take matters into her own hand. And Callie was so much better than her own hand. “Please…”

Pushing her knees open gently, Callie returned her face to its place between her fiancée’s legs. Arizona had been close, she noted as she went back to work. A quick tumble over the edge couldn’t hurt before she teased her out of her mind. With that in mind she went straight for the blonde’s clit, pulling it into her mouth and sucking hard. She could hear Arizona gasp her name even through the thighs muffling her ears and had to smirk. Good thing the boys had turned the TV up.


	14. Chapter 14

Callie sank wearily onto the doctor’s lounge couch, stretching out and closing her eyes. This had been the day from hell. And she knew she was only opening herself up to trouble by sticking around, but Arizona was still in surgery and she didn’t feel like collapsing on the couch at home only to have Tim or Alex wake her up. At least here she’d get to ride home with Arizona.

That reassuring thought only lasted about twelve seconds before Miranda Bailey stormed in, her eyes scanning a chart. “Torres! Your damn fool sister isn’t allergic to anything is she?”

Groaning as she uncovered her eyes, Callie squinted at her friend. She was exhausted, but she really didn’t get the joke. And how did Bailey even know she had a sister? It wasn’t like her family history had ever come up as a lunchtime topic of conversation. “What? My sister?”

“Aria Ramira Torres. That’s your sister, isn’t it?” Bailey asked, her tone less short when she recognized that the woman on the couch was still confused.

Callie rubbed her eyes as she sat up. So much for her nap. “Aria is here? Why?”

“Skiing accident.”

Frowning, Callie stood up, shrugging back into her lab coat. “What did she break?”

Having sympathy on her clearly exhausted friend, Bailey patted her arm soothingly. “Torres, she’s already healing up. There’s just some scarring. She’s here for Plastics.” She offered a smile. “She won’t get off her phone long enough to answer me though, just told me her sister worked here and I should ask her.”

Shaking her head didn’t clear it, Callie sighing and fighting the urge to drop back onto the couch. “Oh, well, she’s allergic to codeine, but everything else is fine.” She hesitated in spite of her exhaustion. “Did she… does she want me to come?”

Bailey’s almost freakish intuition sensed the Latina’s ambivalence about either answer she could give and she shook her head sympathetically. “She didn’t say you shouldn’t come…”

“Whatever,” Callie grumbled. “I’m going home. Thanks Bailey.” Shrugging back out of her lab coat, she shuffled toward the attending’s locker room. She sent a text to Arizona letting her know about the change in plans and drove home in a haze of sudden frustration and her continued weariness.

Tim was vacuuming as she entered, but even the sight of her almost brother-in-law doing chores wasn’t enough to break her funk. She needed sleep. And liquor. But first, sleep. Without speaking or bothering to climb the stairs to her own bed, she flopped onto the couch after she kicked off her shoes. Shoes on the couch was one of Arizona’s pet peeves. She just closed her eyes and tried to relax, not caring about the noise of the vacuum.

Turning it off, Tim sent her a considering look. “Callie, you okay?” No answer. “I know Arizona’s been kind of crazy in wedding planning mode lately, but I thought she was at least letting you sleep.” Still nothing. “Sex coma?” he asked, hoping for a laugh more than confirmation.

Callie did chuckle, but didn’t open her eyes or shift at all on the couch cushions. “I wish…”

“Then what’s up? You look beat.” He swatted lightly at her leg and she lifted her feet to give him room to sit down, putting her legs back across his knees uncaringly. He obliged by rolling his thumbs once across the sole of her foot.

Groaning, Callie turned her head into the pillow and crossing her arms under her head. “My sister Aria is here. In Seattle. At the hospital.”

Tim frowned lightly, considering. He didn’t even know Callie had a sister. Arizona couldn’t keep her own secrets from him, but she would never share anyone else’s secrets. And Callie never talked about her family. “Is she okay?”

Callie scoffed into the pillow. “Bailey said she’s here for plastic surgery to get rid of scars from a skiing accident. No broken bones, nothing for me to do. And I’m exhausted, so I came home.”

He didn’t say anything else, patting her leg once while the other hand found the TV remote. When Arizona came in hours later and surveyed the sight of her fiancée sleeping with her feet in her brother’s lap he just put a finger to his lips to keep her quiet. “She had a bad day. She crashed hard, sis.”

Frowning in concern, Arizona put her bag down and knelt next to the couch, gently pushing dark waves back from Callie’s sleeping face. In sleep, her features were soft, relaxed, utterly gorgeous. “Aww, my poor baby…” the blonde murmured, Callie not stirring at all as Arizona stroked her hair. “Did she say if something happened?”

“Apparently her sister’s at the hospital,” he informed her, keeping his voice down. “That’s all she said.”

“What? Wow…” Callie didn’t talk about her family, but she knew that her sister’s sudden appearance in Seattle was bound to have an effect.

Tim shifted, lifting Callie’s legs gingerly and moving off the couch. Arizona covered her up with a blanket tenderly and the siblings went into the kitchen so they could talk without waking the exhausted woman on the couch. “So, do you know anything about Callie’s sister?” he asked, searching the fridge while Arizona checked the pantry. Cooking together was a familiar routine, each knowing their jobs.

“Just that she exists.” Arizona shrugged. “She’s younger and I guess they didn’t really get along growing up.”

“And then Callie came out?” Tim guessed, sighing sympathetically. He was the first person Arizona had officially come out to, even if their family had known and accepted it long before she’d ever said it out loud.

“Exactly.” Her eyes were drawn inexorably to where her partner slept in the other room. “I know Mom and Dad took it really well, but I don’t understand how you could just cut someone out of your life like that. Because of who they love.”

Tim agreed, “Especially someone like her.”

“Amen, brother!” Arizona withdrew from the pantry with a can of soup and an idea. “Do we have any chicken?”

“Yeah, and biscuits,” he answered preemptively, sure he already knew what she wanted to make. It was an old recipe their mother had made them whenever they needed comfort food - lots of chicken and biscuits and cheese. He checked the drawer. “And the cheddar, but it’s in a block so you get to shred it,” he said, tossing it to her while she tossed the soup can to him. “I’ll do the chicken.”

Smiling gratefully, she was reminded how lucky she was to have such an awesome brother. “Thanks, Tim.”

He gave her a wink. “You got it.”

Talking any more about Callie’s sister’s mysterious arrival would be nothing but gossip and Arizona changed the subject deliberately, “How’re things going with Teddy?”

The next look Tim sent her way was decidedly less friendly. “I thought you didn’t want to be in the middle of anything.”

“Well, I don’t, but it’s been a while since your surgery, and you finished PT, but you’re still here - living with your sister…” He rolled his eyes as they switched places so he could get to the stove and she could get to the cheese grater in the drawer. “Not that I mind, I love you being around, but I figured it might have something to do with Teddy.”

“Arizona…” Tim started warningly. She threw her hands up in surrender and started working on her part of dinner.

The front door crashing closed behind Alex fleeing the rain almost an hour later woke Callie up with a start, Arizona leaning around the kitchen doorway too late to shush him. “Sorry,” he offered with a shrug, hanging his bag over the banister. “Robbins, you cooked?”

Callie blinked blearily but turned to look at her fiancée. “Babe, you cooked?”

“Why does everybody have to say it like that?” questioned Arizona defensively, wiping her hands and leaving the kitchen to check on Callie on the couch. “I can cook!”

“I cooked the chicken,” Tim called from the oven where he was taking their creation out to cool.

Rolling her eyes, Arizona sat down beside Callie, hand covering her knee gently. “You sleep okay?”

The Latina nodded, brain still fuzzy. She remembered being frustrated before she’d fallen asleep but it took a second for the cause to resurface. “My sister is at the hospital…”

“Torres, you have a sister?” Alex asked as he passed through the living room toward the laundry room, stripping off his outer shirt and sniffing it with a look of disgust. “Is she hot?”

“Karev…” Arizona growled in warning. “Go.” She nodded toward the laundry room. “And at least do a full load! Don’t just wash one thing - it’s a waste of the water!”

He stomped back through the living room, grumbling under his breath about already having a mother, but Arizona ignored him. “She’s here for plastic surgery, so I’m guessing she’s still pretty,” Callie noted, leaning her head over against Arizona’s shoulder. “But I haven’t seen her in a few years,” she added bitterly. “And Bailey said she didn’t ask to see me, just asked if I would answer the questions on her admittance paperwork.”

Arizona hissed in sympathy. That was cold-blooded. “Well, we can go see her tomorrow if you want. Or if you don’t want to, we’ll avoid her like the plague,” she promised supportively. “And not seeing Mark Sloan is just an added bonus!”

Callie laughed. “You don’t like Mark Sloan? I haven’t worked with him, just his resident, but I see him around, and I hear he’s like a Plastics god. Of course, most of the interns hate him.”

“Interns, nurses, pharmaceutical reps, anyone with boobs,” Arizona corrected her list. “He’s kind of a slut. And he’s a good surgeon, but he’s a terrible teacher to all of the residents except for what’s-his-face, the pretty-boy one,” Callie shot her a look, “If Plastics didn’t make the hospital more money than any other department, he’d have gotten fired a long time ago.”

Thinking of her sister Aria’s easy, natural, and completely conscious flirting, Callie frowned. “Does he sleep with patients too?”

“Probably not while they’re still patients, at least not that I’ve heard, but he flirts so if someone flirted back and the swelling wasn’t too bad, he’d probably go there.”

Callie sighed, loving Arizona all the more for curling her arm around her shoulders without prompting. “Well, if he has his eyes open tomorrow, he’ll have another prospect lined up and waiting to go.” Warm lips pressed to her temple, Arizona offering her comfort without speaking. “I should go see her, right? I mean, she’s in Seattle. She knows I’m here. Even if we haven’t spoken in almost five years, she’s still my sister, right?”

“If you want to talk to her, I think you should,” Arizona said, voice soft. “And if you want me to go with you, I will.”

“You don’t have to do that, Arizona,” Callie denied. “Even before she was judging me for being bi, Aria was never a very… gracious person.”

“So she’s not much like you.” Arizona kissed the side of her head again. “And I know I don’t have to, Calliope. But you’re going to be my wife pretty soon, and I already feel like your wife anyway, so if you’re doing something hard, I want to be with you.”

The reminder that the wedding was finally only weeks away sent a rush of warmth through Callie’s body. “Why’d we take so long to get married anyway?” It really made no sense when she could have married her months ago.

Arizona’s lips curled into a smile against her hair. “Well, we wanted to wait on your divorce to be final, and you were helping turn Tim into a robot,” Callie’s eyes rolled, “Then I got promoted, and you got your research grant, but I will marry you tomorrow if that’s what you want.”

Their ceremony was going to be simple, just their friends and Arizona’s parents in a local garden, but if Callie wanted to make their vows in the front yard before work, she would do it. They might never get a legal wedding, but the vows were what married them… Partnership papers would have to cover their legal bases until the government caught up with them.

“Your mom would kill us if we waited all this time only to move it up and make her miss it,” Callie reminded her, lifting her head slowly. “And I don’t really want my mother in-law to hate me.”

Arizona pecked her lips quickly. “Oh please, she’d hate me before she’d hate you, Calliope.”

“Dinner’s ready!” Tim called from the kitchen, Callie blushing as she heard his voice.

“Oh God, I fell asleep on your brother!” she remembered suddenly, covering her face with one hand to hide her embarrassment.

Arizona smiled, fingers combing through mussed dark hair. “And I’m okay with it as long as his hands stayed on your feet,” she joked.

Rolling her eyes, Callie stood up, pulling the blonde up with her. “I’d rather fall asleep on you, anyway. And Tim’s a sweetheart. He was cleaning when I came in.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay, he’s a good roommate,” Arizona agreed. “Besides the Aria bombshell, how was your day?” she asked as they joined the men in the kitchen, Alex already serving himself. Tim offered a wine bottle to Arizona as he went around them to get to his own chair. “Ooh, thank you, Timothy!”

“Long,” Callie answered, smiling sweetly as Arizona poured her a glass of red wine, her personal favorite, rewarding her partner with a kiss. “What did you guys make? It smells great!”

“Pure comfort food, baby,” Arizona said with a smile. And it was. Chicken wrapped in flaky biscuits and baked in a cheesy sauce. It was a Robbins family staple because it was so easy to make, but still tasty.

Alex’s mouth was full as he interjected, “It’s really good.”

Callie took a bite of her own, nodding her agreement rather than speak around her mouthful. “Mmh, it is good. Thank you two for cooking. This is the best part of my day.”

“For now, I think you mean,” Arizona corrected her, arching an eyebrow at her, a promising look in her eye. And it wasn’t simply sex she was promising, it was whatever would make Callie’s day better, anything she could do.

“Dude, we’re eating!” protested Alex, again speaking around food.

Arizona promptly leaned over to slug his arm. “And maybe I wasn’t talking about sex, perve!”

“Okay, children,” Tim chimed in to separate them while Callie just sipped her wine. They were all familiar with how Arizona and Alex related to each other. “Can’t we all play nice? Have a nice family dinner?”

Abruptly, Arizona laughed, though she did lean back into her own seat. “Oh my God, you sounded just like Mom just then!”

Taking another sip of her wine, Callie put a hand on her partner’s knee. “Honey, be nice.”

The blonde just smacked a kiss to her cheek. “I’m always nice, Calliope. You know that!” Three pairs of brown eyes rolled simultaneously just as the front door opened, Teddy calling a greeting. “She’ll be on my side!”

Teddy was smiling cautiously as she joined them, taking the plate Callie handed her gratefully. “What am I picking sides on?”

“I’m nice, right?” Arizona demanded, Teddy just looking confused.

“Um, yes?” she said, though it sounded like a question. “What are we talking about?”

The others just dissolved into laughter and Teddy sat down in the chair between Alex and Tim while Arizona grumped at them. Her pout disappeared when Callie leaned over to kiss her cheek, Arizona turning her head to catch another kiss. “Yeah, I’m over it. Teddy, how was work?”

After dinner, the entire group shifted to the living room, comfortable with the quiet. Callie took a seat in front of the couch and Arizona sat behind her, surgeon hands working on the tension in her partner’s shoulders without prompting.

“Me next,” Alex requested when he spotted the massage in process.

Arizona just scoffed, fingers rubbing the bands of tense muscle that she could feel extending up into Callie’s neck. Her job manipulating limbs and bones kept her strong, but this was tension hardening her muscles. “I’m going to be busy here for the rest of the night. You should just get one of your girlfriends to rub your shoulders,” she denied him.

“You don’t have to,” Callie started to say even as she let her head rock forward to give Arizona more room.

“Shut up,” Arizona whispered, kissing the back of her neck as she shifted hair out of her way.

Teddy’s foot nudged her hip where the heart surgeon was stretched out over the couch between Tim and Arizona. “Seriously though, me next, right?”


	15. Chapter 15

“You don’t have to do this, baby,” Arizona reminded Callie gently, squeezing her hands. “We can just go eat lunch.”

Black hair fell in her face when Callie shook her head. “No, I need to at least say something. Even if it’s just ‘hey.’ And I want one freaking person in my family to meet you.” Arizona hadn’t pushed the issue of Callie’s parents’ attendance at the wedding since the last time it had come up after Mrs. O’Malley’s surprise visit, Callie calmly stating once that she only wanted people there that could be genuinely happy for them (the list of which did not include Callie’s parents). That had been the end of it.

Arizona didn’t object and didn’t mention that she could have met Callie’s father at the airport many months before. She knew why Callie hadn’t wanted them to meet then, like that. They’d been on a layover in Miami, at the airport on the way home to prep from Tim’s leg reconstructions when Callie had encountered her father randomly while they’d been waiting. Only Arizona’s restless anxiety had meant she’d been wandering the airport when the two had seen each other for the first time in years.

“Where do you want me?” Arizona asked simply, willing to do anything for Callie.

Dropping one hand, Callie kept the other tight in her grip and started toward the closed door of her sister’s room. They were intercepted at the door by a man Callie dimly recognized from around the hospital, though she couldn’t come up with a name to save her life. It was just that kind of week.

The taller man just smiled, adjusting his lab coat. “Dr. Torres, it’s nice to see you again. You’ve made quite the impression around here the last few years.”

What was that supposed to mean? Her first in Seattle had been a long year, and she’d made her share of waves, but it was a big hospital and her issues with George had been over a long time ago. Since then, she and Arizona had thankfully stayed off the hospital’s incredible gossip circuit. Cocking an eyebrow, context clues filled in the blanks. “Dr. Sloan, right?” It seemed strange that they hadn’t worked any cases together, she did see him at the staff meetings, but it was a big hospital with lots of doctors. She suddenly remembered him introducing himself her first Friday in Joe’s, the date Arizona hadn’t given her an answer for when she’d asked her out.

He nodded, clearly pleased to be remembered. “Please, call me Mark. Is there something I can help you with, doctors?” he asked, finally glancing in Arizona’s direction. “I’ve got a consult.”

“That’s why we’re here,” Callie told him, sending her own look sideways at her partner. “Your patient is my sister.”

Then his eyes quickly scanned her body and Arizona’s jaw clenched instinctively. She definitely didn’t like the way he looked at Callie. “Well then, please, after you,” he invited them, opening the door and holding it for them.

Aria was messing with her phone when they entered, not looking up until Mark cleared his throat. “Oh, Dr. Sloan! Hey!” The younger Torres resembled her sister more than a little, though her waves of dark hair were shorter than Callie’s, but the family resemblance was unmistakable. It made Arizona wonder silently which of their parents the sisters got their looks from.

Callie stayed quiet, part of her curious if her sister would even notice her presence at the wall, Arizona at her side with her hands tucked in the pockets of her white coat. Aria gave her surgeon most of her attention, but didn’t even glance toward the other two. Mark took pleasure from turning to Callie. “Dr. Torres, what would you do to prepare the site for surgery?” It was a question he wouldn’t have even asked of an intern.

But that wasn’t why he’d asked it and it had the intended effect, Aria’s eyes shooting up at the sound of her own name. “Callie!” she shrieked loudly, waving her sister toward her bed. “Took you long enough to get up here and see me!”

Arizona bit her lip, sneaking a look at her fiancée. Callie’s eyes had gone wide with surprise, and Mark grinned, eager to see the dramatics. “Aria…” Callie breathed in disbelief. Of all of the reactions she’d expected from her sister, excitement wasn’t one of them.

“Is this your girlfriend?” Aria eagerly questioned, looking at Arizona. The blonde’s eyes widened to match Callie’s, though she recovered more quickly. “I don’t really need three doctors, do I?” she asked Mark.

“Um, no, I’m her fiancée, actually,” Arizona clarified, spotting the intrigued glance that garnered from Mark.

Aria shrieked again, clapping her hands. “Callie, you’re getting married?! Oh my God! What happened to that George guy? You dumped him, right? Because he was never good enough for you, girl!” The younger Torres grinned at Arizona, running brown eyes from head to foot. “And she is really hot!”

She appeared to be nothing but thrilled by the news that they were getting married and Callie blinked. “What, Aria…?”

“What? You thought just because Mom and Dad are all ‘grr argh’ about it , that I was too?” Aria asked, incredulous.

“Well, you haven’t talked to me since I left,” Callie reminded her, struggling to keep her frustration out of her voice. She hadn’t had a family in years and her sister had the nerve to be excited for them? It didn’t make sense even as she thought it, but Callie couldn’t help herself.

Aria just laughed. “Hey, you know I’m a selfish bitch, sis!” Well, that was the truth. “I was mad at first. Mom and Dad would never care enough to throw me out over something I did. And I’ve probably changed my phone number like twelve times since then.” Despite herself, Callie laughed, though the sound was bitter to her own ears. It was all true. “Are you too pissed at me to give me a hug?”

Moving around Mark as he excused himself, Callie hugged her sister hard, almost dizzy and overwhelmed with a strange mixture of resentment, anger, and relief. She wasn’t close to Aria, never had been, but acceptance from any member of her family was something she had written off as one thing she would never have. But the years of betrayal, abandonment, couldn’t just be forgotten either.

“New sister, bring it in!” Aria called when Callie pulled back, the elder Torres fighting tears. She kind of hated that that was her reaction, but she couldn’t help herself. “What’s your name anyway?”

“Arizona,” Callie answered for her as Arizona was tugged into her sister’s embrace. “Arizona Robbins.”

“Cool name! Like the state, or the battleship?”

“The battleship!” Grinning, Arizona sent Callie a look of awed surprise. No one had ever guessed the source of her name correctly, she always had to correct them. “Calliope, I like her!”

Shooting a return look at her partner, Callie shook her head in mock exasperation. “Are we going to have a problem with our siblings?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

“What? No! Tim just likes running his mouth, you know that.” Blue eyes searched her face and the dimpled smile faded as she tried to read her partner’s expression. Aria had the same easy charm that Callie did, but Calliope was her priority, always.

Arizona was cut off by Aria, “Ooh, you have a brother? I bet he’s cute because you are gorgeous!”

Callie’s look was knowing, old memories of her sister’s flirtatious nature coming back to her in a rush. Thankfully, she knew her baby sister was straighter than straight. Big love for the penis. “He’s involved,” she informed the younger woman seriously, clear note of warning in her tone.

Aria sighed, rolling her eyes at her sister. “That’s a shame. I did not miss your judgey looks, Callie. Anyway, when’s the wedding?”

“Next week, actually,” answered Callie, unable to stop a genuine smile, glancing across the bed at Arizona. The dimpled smile she was receiving made her heart skip a beat. Just over a week until she pledged the rest of her life to the most amazing, wonderful woman she’d ever known. “What about you? What happened to you that you didn’t even tell me you got in an accident?” They could talk, talking was good, but about something other than emotions.

“It’s not like you could have operated on me, right?” Aria defended herself with a sheepish shrug. “Were you going to tell me that you are getting married?”

Callie matched her sister’s shrug, glancing at Arizona. “No, I guess not. Not with the way Mom and Dad have been about all of it.” She hesitated, breathing deeply. “How have they been?” she asked slowly.

“They’re the same as always,” answered Aria. “Always working, mostly oblivious.” Callie’s expression fell and the younger Torres sighed. “Do you want me to call them?” she offered, genuinely sympathetic for a moment. “I can get them to Seattle if you want to ambush them.” She was always up for jerking her parents around.

It didn’t Callie a second to shake her head. “No.” She mustered a weak smile. “It’s fine.” Her parents hadn’t been there for so many things since she’d come out. She couldn’t say she didn’t miss them, but she had a new family now, one that had welcomed her without hesitation. Glancing up, she caught Arizona’s eyes, blue depths concerned and questioning again. Swallowing back the painful emotions attached to thinking about her parents (though not as painful as they’d once been), Callie gave her a minute nod, wetting her lips.

“Whatever,” Aria said, waving that off. “Screw ‘em. Can I come to the wedding?”

Arizona gave Callie a supportive nod immediately, dimples popped. Her eyes were still searching her lover’s face, though. “Sure,” Callie agreed, smiling herself more naturally to reassure Arizona. Even before her coming out, no one had ever looked after her, genuinely cared about how she was feeling, the way Arizona did. “I guess if you want to come, knock yourself out.” It might be nice to actually have someone from her family at the wedding, though she wasn’t going to get her hopes up. Aria, even when she had the best of intentions, had never been all that reliable.

A knock on the door interrupted further conversation, Mark Sloan returning. “Sorry to interrupt, but we do need to get you prepped for your surgery, Miss Torres.”

“Dr. Sloan, I thought I told you to call me Aria,” the younger woman requested, laughing flirtatiously. Callie rolled her eyes toward Arizona, the blonde biting back an amused smile. “I saw that,” Aria rebuked her sister.

“Well, we have to get to work, but I’ll come check on you after you wake up?”

“Sure, yeah!”

Arizona was smiling but quiet as they left the room, waiting for a reaction from Callie. When one didn’t come, she prompted, “That went better than I was expecting. But it doesn’t matter what I think, Calliope. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Callie agreed hoarsely. She was barely able to believe it. Only her sister could not speak to someone for five years and turn around in half an hour and make it feel like it had been no time at all. It was like her superpower. She could almost forget that she’d been so angry at her abandonment in the first place. But she had been, and she was, and that made her cautious. She’d been hurt by a lot of people.

“Calliope, you don’t have to say anything, but if you want to talk to me, I’m here,” Arizona offered, not sure what would antagonize the Latina. “I don’t really know what to say here.”

That drew a genuine smile, Callie’s dark eyes focusing on her. “You just said it,” she promised, whispering. “I just - everybody leaves, Arizona.” Her smile was tinged with sadness. “My parents don’t talk to me and my sister - even when she’s really happy for me, like now - she doesn’t think beyond herself. The last five years, she didn’t care that I like girls, she just cared that our parents were more upset about it than they’ve been over any of the random crap she pulls. I haven’t had a family and it doesn’t even occur to her to call me.”

Arizona sighed sadly, unable to help mentally comparing their experiences - her own family’s supportive understanding and Callie’s complete abandonment. “Calliope,” she started softly, eyes searching her partner’s face, fingers winding into the fabric at the sides of Callie’s scrub top. “I will never walk away from you.”

Callie smiled, fresh tears rising in her eyes. “You better not,” she whispered, head shaking from side to side. “I wouldn’t make it.” Admitting that, that she needed someone else after all the others who’d left, was a big deal for her. But she knew she was safe with Arizona. If Arizona hadn’t left after finding out that she was married, that she wanted kids, discovered all of the differences that actually made them perfect for each other, she wasn’t going to leave.

Arizona pulled her into a full, tight embrace, one hand stroking her hair. “It’s never going to happen,” she promised. “Do you want me to come back with you this afternoon? You can page me…”

Callie considered the offer, finally shaking her head. “That’s okay, I know you’re busy today. What time is Wallace getting here?”

Arizona checked her watch with a sigh. “About half an hour.” Wallace Anderson had been in and out of the hospital for most of his life because of his short gut syndrome, and had been Arizona’s patient since she was doing her fellowship.

Callie gave her a quick kiss. “You go be awesome and I’ll see you at home, okay?”

“Okay. Love you.”

“I love you too,” Callie answered her, shaking her head as Arizona shot off down the hall on her wheels. Everything about that woman made her happy, even those ridiculous shoes.

Aria’s surgery went perfectly fine and Callie stopped by her room after her last surgery of the day, knocking tentatively. “Callie, hey, come in,” Aria said, surprising her by putting her phone aside, her expression muted. “I know you must hate me, right?”

“If you apologize to me, I might hurt you,” said Callie honestly, crossing her arms and shaking her head. “I don’t, I can’t - you know you’re unbelievable, don’t you?” 

The younger woman just smirked impishly and Callie could feel the familiar exasperation come rushing back. “If you don’t want me to come to your wedding, I get it. And I know it doesn’t mean much, but I really am happy for you. That woman I met this morning, she loves you. It’s all over her face when she looks at you.” Callie couldn’t help a smile, knowing that her own expression showed exactly how she felt about Arizona. Aria’s smirk softened and she shifted in her bed. “She’s good to you, right?”

Callie sighed, leaning back against the wall. “She’s amazing,” she said earnestly. “Wonderful. I love her… more than anything.” Her sister’s expression didn’t twitch, didn’t flicker, just a soft smile. “What the hell, Aria? Why are you here now? Why did you even bother coming to my hospital in my city? It’s not like you missed me…”

“Hey!” Aria cut her off shortly. “You’re my big sister, Callie. Of course I missed you.” A sigh and her shoulders slumped slightly. “I’m selfish and I’m sorry. For whatever that’s worth.”

Callie considered her in silence, trying to wrap her head around this whole thing. “For whatever it’s worth, I kind of missed you too.” Aria smiled softly, making her look shy. Callie knew better. “You’re still a bitch,” she declared flatly, shaking her head at the younger woman.

Gasping, Aria whipped her pillow across the room at Callie, hissing when the sudden movement reminded them both that she’d just had surgery.

“Don’t ruin Dr. Sloan’s nice work,” Callie teased, circling her own face with a finger. “He really is as good as they say,” she noted. “He fixed this whole situation you’ve had going on…”

Aria gaped at her, offended, but didn’t protest. Much like Arizona and Alex, they’d always related better then they were snipping at each other. It had always been their most honest form of communication. And talking about how they hadn’t talked in years wasn’t going to do anything but hurt.

Her sister’s yawn was almost a relief, Callie excusing herself to let her sleep. She did spend what time she could visiting with her long lost sister while she was in recovery for the next few days. As long as they stayed casual it was fine, which had always been the extent of their relationship anyway. Arizona accompanied her when she could, which wasn’t too often after she discovered how much worse Wallace’s condition had gotten. There was no cure for his disease, but his parents were extremely wealthy and were putting a lot of pressure on her to come up with something to save their son.

But he was restrained to the hospital until she came up with any other treatment possibility. And Arizona was stressed and frustrated as she tried to find something, anything, to help him. The wedding was the light at the end of the tunnel of her shitty week.

And Calliope, of course. Callie was the light she lived in every day. She was flipping through yet another journal, searching for a solution, when arms slid over her shoulders, warm lips angling in to kiss behind her ear. “Are you coming home?” Callie murmured, arms hugging Arizona around the top of her chest. “I miss you.”

Arizona had been spending more and more time at the hospital, especially after the Andersons had promised twenty-five million dollars to the hospital, half of it to be geared toward searching for a cure for their son. And between her case and Callie’s sister, they hadn’t been home much at the same time. “I feel like I’m being paid not to,” she admitted, sighing heavily.

“Well, I don’t have twenty-five million dollars, but I thought I had some things you liked,” Callie mused, her chin resting lightly on Arizona’s shoulder as she surveyed the piles of papers and journals spread across the desk Arizona had commandeered in the research library. “Any luck?”

“No,” Arizona grumbled, rubbing her temple to ward off a headache.

“Are you going to hate me if I ask you to take a break and come home?” asked Callie. “You need to sleep and I miss sleeping with you.” She kissed her neck again. Things with Aria were going surprisingly well, but she wasn’t depending on that relationship. It would be nice if her sister was in her life again, but then, really, it wasn’t her life anymore. At least, not only her life. Because no matter that the wedding hadn’t technically occurred yet, her life was tied to Arizona’s. And she wanted it that way, whether they’d taken their vows yet or not. “Is he stable?”

“Yes, but he’s still in a hospital bed and he’s going to stay there unless I can figure out a way to help him,” Arizona pointed out.

Callie sighed, nuzzling her ear gently and kissing her a third time. “Okay, but just remember, no matter how much money the Andersons give you, and no matter how much you want to help, they can’t buy a cure for their son.” She dropped another kiss and leaned back, her arms sliding back with her. “Just promise me you’ll come home the night before the wedding,” she requested. “I know it’s not kosher, but I want to spend that night with you.”

Arizona snorted, smiling suddenly. “I think that’s no less kosher than marrying a woman, Calliope.” She stretched and both hands caught the back of Callie’s neck, holding her where she was. “And I miss you too.”

Smiling, Callie gently unhooked the hands on her shoulders. “I know. But I know Wallace is important to you, so stay tonight if you need to.” A laugh snuck out. “But Aria wants to take everyone out for a few drinks the night before the wedding and I don’t want to go if you’re not there with me. And if neither of us are there, it’s a pretty lame wedding celebration.”

Arizona laughed as well, thinking of the whirlwind that was Aria interacting with the rest of their friends. The younger Torres had stuck around Seattle to visit with her sister but she had insisted on staying at a hotel rather than crashing on the couch at the house with them. It had suited Arizona’s desire to keep the flirtatious Aria away from the willing Alex, and it gave Aria an excuse to use her daddy’s money, one of her favorite pastimes according to both herself and Callie. “Oh God. That sounds like trouble…”

“It really does,” Callie agreed, still laughing. “Which is why I need you there to keep me out of trouble.”

“Oh, I don’t think I could miss that, babe.” Arizona turned her head to give her partner a look. “I need to clean off the memory card in my camera for that.”

Callie rolled her eyes but smiled. “So you’ll come home tomorrow night?”

Shaking her head made Callie’s smile slip, but Arizona stood up. “I’m coming home now,” she said. “And I will absolutely be there tomorrow night,” she promised, kissing her fiancée softly. Her brow quirked as something occurred to her. “Should Aria even drink so close to surgery?”

Callie’s eyes rolled again. “She’s a week post-op, so that’s not going to matter.” Arizona’s eyes went wide at the reminder of exactly how much she’d buried herself in her work lately. “And I’m pretty sure she invited Dr. Sloan anyway.”

Arizona grimaced as she left her pen in the journal and closed the pages on it to mark her spot. “That guy is coming to our party? We don’t even know him!”

Callie curled their fingers together as they left the library, laughing as she looked sideways at Arizona. “What is it you don’t like about him? He seems alright to me.”

Blue eyes just narrowed. “I don’t like the way he looks at you, actually.”

“What?” Callie asked with a choked laugh.

Arizona declared, “He stares at your boobs, Calliope. He starts at your face, but somewhere along the line he ends up on your boobs. I don’t like it.”

Callie dropped her hand to wrap an arm around the blonde’s shoulders, pulling her in to kiss the side of her head. “Well, historically, I’ve heard that they’re pretty good. I mean, you like them, right?”

“Of course I do!”

“Well, your opinion is the one that matters to me. But if it bothers you, I’ll tell him to stop or don’t come to the party,” Callie declared easily, shrugging. “You haven’t come out of the library all day, are you good to drive? Are your legs numb?” she teased. “Did you eat? You could be lightheaded.”

Arizona scoffed immediately. “Always ready to drive, Calliope.” She even escorted Callie to the passenger door, holding it for her and closing it behind her. Starting the car, she was quiet for a few minutes before she spoke up again, “You’d really tell Sloan to keep his distance? Just because he bugs me?”

She was clearly surprised by the consideration, and Callie laughed, looking across the dark car at her. “Sure,” she said, utterly matter-of-fact. “Arizona, if something makes you uncomfortable, it’s not okay with me. I’ll talk to Dr. Sloan tomorrow.”

Arizona normally wasn’t a jealous person, but for some reason Mark Sloan’s eyes, or anyone’s eyes, really, on her Calliope made her insane. She knew Callie would never cheat on her, though. No matter who looked at her, she would never hurt her like that. She just had to accept that her fiancée was a gorgeous, sexy woman that everyone wanted. But she was the one marrying Calliope Torres. Callie loved her. That was what mattered. “No, it’s okay,” she sighed. “I trust you. I don’t trust him, necessarily, but I trust you.”

Callie smiled to herself, proud of her partner. She knew she could be jealous, knew exactly how she’d react if she thought someone was sniffing around Arizona. And talking to them would be the least of what she’d do. “As long as you’re not too tired, you’re so getting laid tonight,” she promised, smirking across the car at her while blue eyes blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting that reaction. “You, trusting me, really hot,” Callie clarified.

The look she was getting made it look like Callie was ready to eat her right there in the car and Arizona felt a shiver shoot down her spine. “O-kay.” That look, from Callie, that’s what she was talking about!

“And Sloan’s totally into Aria. Which is gross, but whatever. Because I’m with you and if I worried about every inappropriate guy my sister slept with, I’d never have finished med school,” Callie added without thinking.

Arizona laughed but shook her head. “It was hotter when you just wanted to get me naked for being so awesome and secure, so I’m ignoring all that stuff you just said about Sloan and your sister and focusing on you wanting me,” the blonde decided, returning her gaze to the rainy road home. She just smiled when Callie leaned across the narrow gap between their seats and kissed her cheek softly.

“It’s always about you. Arizona,” Callie promised sweetly. “You and me.”


	16. Chapter 16

Arizona couldn’t stop laughing even as her back collided with the wall of the hallway. Callie muffled the noise with another kiss, both hands busy at her fiancée’s waist. They really shouldn’t be doing this, she knew that. They were successful, modern women. They should be able to keep their pants on until they got home. But they really, really couldn’t. Or at least they couldn’t keep their hands out of the other one’s pants.

Fingers pushed eagerly into the opened front of Arizona’s jeans, rubbing her over the hot, damp fabric of her panties. “You’re so wet already,” Callie broke their kiss to gasp, both of them breathless.

Arizona couldn’t answer vocally, words completely beyond her capabilities at the moment. They were out celebrating their upcoming wedding with their friends and Calliope Torres had her pinned against a wall with her hands on her. It was a miracle that she was still standing at all. Instead of speaking, she managed a pleading, desperate, whimper-whine.

Understanding the plea, two fingers slid the crotch of Arizona’s panties out of their way and plunged inside her in a single deep, hard thrust.

That got her talking, Arizona gasping a strangled, “Oh fuck.” They were off the dance floor but the thump of the bass would cover any sounds they happened to make. They could still be discovered at any second though, and Arizona knew gratefully that it wouldn’t take much more before she came. “More,” she ground out, unintentionally biting down on Callie’s shoulder when another finger added itself to the thrusts driving inside her.

“Don’t leave a mark!” Callie reminded her, the nails of her own free hand digging into Arizona’s ass where she’d tucked her hand in between denim jeans and cotton panties. She could leave marks there, no one would see them but her, but a giant mouth shaped bruise on her shoulder would be pretty obvious tomorrow in her off-the-shoulder wedding dress.

Arizona released her with another gasp, rocking her body down onto the hand driving her over the edge. Without muffling herself on Callie’s skin, her noises were rising in pitch as she neared her peak. Then Callie curled and scissored her fingers, blowing her completely over the edge with a scream. Callie captured her mouth quickly, holding steady as Arizona rode out the waves of her pleasure and pulling out only when she went limp.

Whining in protest at the necessary haste that came from sneaking away from a party to have sex with her fiancée, Arizona was fumbling as she replaced her underwear and redid the zipper and button of her jeans while Callie cleaned her fingers one at a time between her lips. The little moan of appreciation when she didn’t have time to reciprocate really wasn’t fair, the blonde decided. Her woman was almost too hot. That thought was immediately rejected as insane. There was no such thing as too hot. Not when it came to Calliope Torres.

“Shall we?” Callie asked, offering her hand and a quick kiss. She licked her lips as they separated.

Arizona took another deep breath, feeling the flush on her face and praying that everyone wrote it off to the heat of the club they were in. “Think anyone will believe we were just going to the bathroom?”

Callie threw her head back to laugh, shaking her head. “Not a chance, sweetness.” They hadn’t exactly been subtle when they’d run off to screw in an empty hallway. She slid around behind Arizona, using their joined hands to spin her around and planting herself behind her, both arms wrapping around her waist. “Everyone in this place wishes they’d just gotten to do what I just did,” she whispered, sucking on the skin below her ear.

Letting herself be moved to the music, Arizona tried to feel embarrassed by what they’d just done, but she really wasn’t. They were getting married. And they were celebrating that. And Callie was really hard to turn down when she whispered what she’d whispered to lead them to that hallway. She had no regrets but the fact that there hadn’t been time for her to turn the tables on Callie. The night was still young, though.

They danced close through countless songs, not caring about wandering hands or sloppy kisses exchanged during the extended, close, physical contact. There was a lot of couples that were being much less modest than they were. Occasionally they would see a pair or group of their friends in the mass with them.

Coming out of the crowd only when the heat and resulting sweating was becoming uncomfortable, they were met at their reserved table by a waiter and icy drinks. Arizona wasn’t driving but only took a few sips of hers, just enough to cool off. 

Callie finished hers in a single long sip, gasping as she swallowed and shaking her head to clear it. She pulled Arizona against her side in their big, round booth, immediately sucking on the blonde’s ear and making her breathing shudder. “You’re hot,” Callie hummed, teeth closed lightly on the lobe. “And I love you. But that’s not why I love you. I have a hundred thousand reasons why I love you, Arizona, why I’m marrying you tomorrow,” the words sent a quiver down her back, “but all I can think tonight is how hot you are.” A scalding mouth closed on her earlobe again and her eyes slammed closed. “Is that bad?” Callie asked, breathing hard against her neck and resting her chin on her lover’s shoulder. “I should be thinking about why I love you so much but all I can think is what it felt like to be inside you.”

Swallowing hard, Arizona captured her lips firmly, hand on her face holding her steady. How much longer could Aria really expect them to stay here? Seriously? They’d been there for a few hours already. And they had a wedding to be ready for tomorrow. And she desperately wanted to take her fiancée to bed and fuck her.

As if reading her mind the younger Torres appeared at the table with the rest of their party, whistling sharply. “Alright already, bachelorettes! Dismount each other!”

Realizing that she was dangerously close to doing precisely that, Arizona fell back, struggling to catch her breath while Callie was doing the same beside her. “What’s up?” the brunette asked of her sister. “We leaving?” She wasn’t entirely able to hide her hopeful tone and Arizona smirked.

“Yes. We’re hitting Joe’s for a round of shots and then back to your place to crash.”

“Great,” Callie agreed, dragging Arizona along by the hand out of the booth and toward the door. 

“But we can do shots at home,” Arizona declared. “We’ve got plenty of liquor, don’t we, Alex?” Callie sent her a look and she shrugged unapologetically. She was just as eager to get home as her lover.

“Sure, boss,” he hollered back, grinning. Aria rolled her eyes knowingly, but agreed.

Aria had rented a limo and they piled in, Arizona, by far the least drunk passenger, giving him their address. They stumbled across the yard when they reached the house, Arizona sensing an opportunity as their friends made their way inside while she detained Callie in their driveway.

Kissing her against their car, the brunette went along with her willingly as Arizona fumbled for the door handle. Finally finding it, she broke the kiss to usher her fiancée into the backseat. “Seriously?” Callie asked her breathlessly. “Are we this drunk that we’re going to have sex in the car?”

“I’m not actually that drunk yet,” Arizona said, forgetting her purpose for a moment. “That doesn’t matter! I just can’t wait.” She stole another kiss, tongue plundering her mouth for a few too brief seconds. “I need to be inside you, Calliope.”

Decision made by those words, Callie scrambled into the car. Positioning herself on her back, she hauled Arizona in behind her by the front of her shirt, the blonde barely catching the door to pull it closed behind them. They kissed furiously, hands fumbling with clothes and buttons. Callie succeeded in tearing Arizona’s shirt over her head, rewarding herself by burying her face in perfect breasts.

Arizona whined in protest as they fell backward, delivering her chest fully for Callie to feast on but making it more difficult to reach the Latina’s zipper herself. “Calliope…” Further words were lost when a hot mouth closed over her nipple, tongue working through the fabric of her bra. At least the wet spot would be invisible once her shirt was back on.

Finally, fingers touched metal and she dragged the zipper down, cupping her whole hand against Callie’s core. She was soaked through her panties and scorching hot against her skin. Desperate for contact, the brunette lifted her hips in invitation, Arizona balancing herself on her knees so she could use both hands to yank pants and panties down enough to give herself access. “Inside…” Callie broke from her chest to plead, hips already jumping.

Arizona’s need to fill her was just as great and she slid home with an appreciative moan. Awkwardly shifting (it had been a long time since she’d had sex in a car), she backed her next thrust with her hips and simultaneously kicked the door hard. She groaned but forced herself to remember what was important, which was making Callie come hard. Pain in her foot could be dealt with after that.

“Are you okay?” Callie asked beneath her, panting for breath. Arizona grunted out an affirmative, curling her fingers. “There, there, there,” gasped Callie in reaction as she hit the perfect spot. “Right there.” Arizona complied with quick, short thrusts that hit directly on target. Both hands shot to Arizona’s ass, holding her in against herself as she pitched over the edge with a groaning moan that escaped from between clenched teeth. She was still clenching around the blonde’s fingers when she relaxed her hands, giving Arizona the freedom to move. “You too,” she requested breathlessly, weakly lifting one leg to give her lover the friction she would need.

Arizona gratefully rocked into her thigh without pulling out of Callie’s center, giving her another thrust as she worked herself toward orgasm. Hearing the whimper that got her, Arizona’s next thrust was deliberate, dragging her own core against a strong thigh and pushing her fingers deeper inside Callie. “I’m going to make you come again,” she declared, bracing her free arm on the seat next to Callie’s head and leaning over onto her to speak directly into her ear. “You’re going to come for me again while I’m riding you,” she told her, having to close her eyes as she felt her own peak coming fast. “I’m close…”

“Mngh, me too,” Callie moaned, turning her head to kiss any skin she could find. “Come with me,” she coaxed, licking a path over the blonde’s collarbone and kissing the hollow of her throat. She could hear Arizona’s frenzied, hard breathing above her, feel the tension in every inch of her. “Now. Let it go, baby.”

Riding out their highs, Callie trailed fingers over her lover’s bare back while the other woman was collapsed limply on top of her. She liked it. She could feel the light sheen of sweat on her soft skin.

“Wow,” Arizona panted, reluctantly pulling out and feeling Callie shift her leg.

“Was that what you were expecting when you pulled us in here?” Callie asked, chuckling weakly.

“Yeah, kind of,” acknowledged the blonde with a laugh of her own. “I just wanted to be inside you, really.” She sat up slowly, forgetting that they were in a car and cracking her head on the ceiling. Callie rubbed her head lightly as she laid back down on her. “But I kind of wish we had room to cuddle now.”

Callie could hear her pout without needing to see it and she stroked her hair gently. They were lying on the narrow bench seat in the back of Arizona’s Jeep and she could feel the seatbelt receptacle poking her in the side. “I know. We can snuggle upstairs in bed, I promise. We can try and sneak straight up there if you want to…”

Giving it serious consideration, Arizona finally sighed and sat up again, cautious of the ceiling this time, and started looking for her shirt. “I wish, but we’ve got all these people here, and it would be rude…” She hesitated, chewing on her lip. “Right?”

“I guess so,” Callie agreed. “How about we give it another hour and then we say screw rudeness, and we go upstairs?”

“Oh, definitely,” the blonde declared from inside her shirt, leaning over to kiss her again as soon as her head was clear. She had to scramble back out of the car so Callie could get her pants back up, zippered and buttoned. As soon as they were both standing in the moonlight, it was immediately clear that they’d just had sex. “Oh boy.”

Grinning, Callie just pulled her in for a kiss, hands smoothing blonde hair. “That’s the best I can do for you. I think they’ve all got us figured out by now, babe.”

“Yeah, probably,” Arizona conceded with a laugh as she combed her own fingers through Callie’s dark waves. “You ready?”

The music was already on inside the house, the drinks already flowing as well. As soon as they came through the door, Callie was grabbed into a dance with Cristina and Meredith, Arizona snagged by Lexie Grey. Someone pressed drinks into their hands as they danced around the living room. None of it was organized and Callie couldn’t help thinking of what Arizona, Cristina, and Meredith called ‘dancing it out.’

It had been more than the hour they’d agreed upon, but Callie was missing from the living room when Arizona became aware of the time, and everyone else had coupled off so she felt no guilt about slipping upstairs to find her own partner. There was some fairly distinctive noises coming from Alex’s room, as well as Tim’s, and the bathroom (what the hell?), but she shook her head and attempted to ignore it.

Her own bedroom was thankfully silent and she shut the door behind her as she found Callie sprawled in their bed. “Hey, you asleep?” she whispered, kicking her shoes off as she crossed the dark room to join her.

“Nope,” Callie answered, turning onto her back and crossing her arms behind her head while she watched her other half get undressed for bed in the dim light through the window. “I’ve just been thinking about something…”

Cocking an eyebrow at her, the blonde tossed her shirt in the general direction of the hamper, quietly debating if it was worth finding something to wear. “What are you thinking about?” she asked curiously. That wasn’t typically something someone wanted to hear the night before their wedding but she wasn’t worried.

“I’m wondering since we’ve already had pretty spectacular sex more than once today, if we go again before the wedding, are we being greedy?” 

Callie sounded just idly curious, but the question made Arizona’s heart rate pick up and her body tighten. If Callie was offering, she was most definitely up for more. “Um…” She swallowed hard, throat dry. “No?” Her voice was squeaky and high and Callie chuckled, her own tone warm and entirely sexual.

“Well, then what are you waiting for?” she hummed, catching her face in both hands as Arizona dove into bed, rolling her back. “Wait, I’ve got - I want to taste you,” she gasped.

Arizona moaned, squeezing her eyes closed. “Me too,” she agreed.

Callie eagerly turned herself into position, dragging the panties Arizona was still wearing down her unbelievably long legs and tossing them away. “I think those are pretty much ruined,” she said, undeniably smug about that fact. She’d already lost her own underwear before Arizona had come in and the blonde got straight to business, craning her face up to get her tongue where they both needed it to be.

Holding her open with two fingers, Callie set to work herself, dragging her tongue down the length of Arizona’s slit and then back up to suck the needy clit into her mouth. She’d had Arizona twice already today and it still wasn’t enough. She could never have enough of this woman.

By an unspoken agreement, they were working each other up slowly, taking their time and savoring. This was their last time before they exchanged vows. Presumably. And as fun as it had been, the sex in the bar and in the car had been rushed. This was different. Every time they were together it was because they love each other, but this was more than just sex.

Callie felt when Arizona slid two fingers into her and mirrored the action with her own fingers, following the rhythm set by her lover, steady, slow, deep, dragging thrusts. Her lips and tongue kept her clit attended to and Callie followed her lead again. She was happy to do anything that made Arizona feel good.

Their peaks were slow to build, but when they hit it was explosive. Callie completely lost her breath, feeling lightheaded, but was unwilling to miss a single bit of Arizona on her tongue. She only flopped off when she felt the blonde’s hand tap at her leg, falling onto her back and wearily crawling back toward the head of the bed where Arizona was already waiting on her with arms open. “Now that was a damn good last time,” she said, not realizing she’d said it until Arizona started laughing.

“I’m guessing you mean last time before tomorrow night?”

“Yeah, of course. Last time before the wedding,” Callie agreed, clarifying as she stole a kiss, able to taste herself on her lover’s lips. They tasted good together. She fell into her spot with Arizona, grimacing as her hip hit something hard. One hand searched blindly and she found an empty liquor bottle that she pushed out of her way. “Hey,” she greeted her as they settled in face to face. “I love you. I’m completely in love with you.”

Dimples popped as Arizona fought off a yawn. Lovemaking like that really takes it out of a girl. “I’m in love with you too,” she whispered, reaching forward for another soft meeting of their lips. “I think you finally wore me out,” she confessed, unable to hide the next yawn. “So thank you. I’ll be the one walking funny down the aisle tomorrow.”

Callie smirked, not entirely displeased with that idea. “Do you want me to apologize? Or should we just go to sleep?”

“Sleep, definitely,” declared Arizona, blue eyes already falling closed. “And never apologize for making love to me.” Finding Callie’s hand with her own, she pulled it over herself as she turned onto her side, coaxing Callie against her back. “It’s awesome wherever we are, but I’m really glad we don’t have to miss the snuggling this time.”

Smiling, Callie kissed the back of her neck softly. “Me too,” she agreed, letting herself be dragged into blissful oblivion. Whenever they woke up, they’d be getting married. And no dream was going to top that.


End file.
